Transformation of cucumber tissues by microprojectile bombardment: identification of plants containing functional and non-functional transferred genes.

The microprojectile bombardment method was used to transfer DNA into embryogenic callus of cucumber (Cucumis sativus), and stably transformed cucumber plant lines were obtained. A total of 107 independently regenerated cucumber plants were assayed for the presence and expression of the transferred Nos-NPTII gene (encoding nopaline synthase-neomycin phosphotransferase II). Genomic blot hybridization analyses showed that a high percentage (16%) of the cucumber plants were transformed with Nos-NPTII; however, only about 25% of these transgenic plants expressed Nos-NPTII. Inactivity of Nos-NPTII in many of the transformed cucumber plants may be associated with the transfer of multiple copies of Nos-NPTII. PCR and genomic blot hybridization analyses were used to show that the transferred gene was inherited in the subsequent plant generation.     

The improvement of amorpha-4,11-diene production by a yeast-conform variant

Aims:  To investigate the effect of the yeast-conform variant of the Artemisia annua gene encoding for amorpha-4,11-diene synthase (ADS) on the production of amorpha-4,11-diene in a transformed yeast.
Methods and Results:  The ADS gene was mutated to the yeast-conform variant ADSm . The ADSm synthesis was performed based on step-by-step extension of a short region of the gene through a series of polymerase chain reactions (PCR). The artificial ADSm gene contained codons preferred by the yeast translation machinery. The sequence was then integrated into a yeast expression vector pYeDP60. The fusion construct was active and the transformed yeast cells produced higher level of amorpha-4,11-diene compared with the plant gene-transformed yeast cells.
Conclusions:  Strains transformed with the yeast-conform allele ( ADSm ) were more efficient in terms of production of amorpha-4,11-diene than those transformed with the plant gene.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  We demonstrated that yeast-conform allele of foreign genes by serial PCR reactions can be a solution to low efficiency of heterologous gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells.     

A non-destructive assay for GUS in the media of plant tissue cultures

β-glucuronidase (GUS) can be assayed in the spent media of plant tissues transformed with some GUS gene fusions (Jefferson, 1988). This approach is based on the presence of GUS in the media of transformed plant tissues expressing the gene and can be used to monitor the progress of transformation without destruction of the tissue under study.     

Growth of canola (Brassica napus) in the presence of plant growth-promoting bacteria and either copper or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Growth of canola (Brassica napus) seeds treated with plant growth-promoting bacteria in copper-contaminated and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated soils was monitored. Pseudomonas asplenii AC, isolated from PAH-contaminated soil, was transformed to express a bacterial gene encoding 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, and both native and transformed bacteria were tested for growth promotion. Inoculation of seeds, grown in the presence of copper or creosote, with either native or transformed P. asplenii AC significantly increased root and shoot biomass. Native and transformed P. asplenii AC and transformed P. asplenii AC encapsulated in alginate were equally effective at promoting plant growth in copper-contaminated soils. In creosote-contaminated soils the native bacterium was the least effective, and the transformed encapsulated bacterium was the most effective in growth promotion.     

Transformation of Tobacco, Tomato, Potato, and Arabidopsis thaliana Using a Binary Ti Vector System

Using a binary tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid vector system, several plant species were transformed with a kanamycin resistance marker (neomycin phosphotransferase gene). Four Nicotiana species, seven tomato cultivars, two potato cultivars, and Arabidopsis thaliana were transformed by the binary vector transformation method. In this method, various plant organ pieces were co-cultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens cells carrying the binary vector, pGA472, and a helper Ti plasmid. We have also demonstrated that a wild type Ti plasmid can be used as a helper to obtain a transformed plant.     

转基因表达OPH提高番茄果实降解有机磷农药能力的研究

拟通过基因工程提高番茄果实降解有机磷农药残留的能力。构建了E8启动子基因驱动有机磷降解基因(OPD)的植物表达载体pSE8OP,经农杆菌介导遗传转化番茄子叶后,进行GUS染色、PCR和Southern blotting分析。证明OPD基因已整合进转基因植株基因组中,为1个拷贝。HPLC比较分析发现,转基因番茄果实能显著提高降解毒死蜱和对硫磷的能力,大大减少了番茄中的农药残留。     

琉璃苣BoD6D载体的构建及转化

运用植物基因工程手段构建琉璃苣BoD6D转化载体,为提高油料作物油份中γ-亚麻酸含量奠定基础。以琉璃苣基因组DNA为模板克隆BoD6D,构建酵母表达载体并转化酿酒酵母,对酵母进行诱导表达,提取脂肪酸后进行甲酯化反应,利用气相色谱分析脂肪酸含量;同时构建植物双元表达载体,经农杆菌介导通过蘸花法转化拟南芥,最后对转基因拟南芥通过抗性筛选及PCR进行鉴定。结果表明,BoD6D编码区不含有内含子,可以直接用于后续的功能研究;成功构建了酿酒酵母表达载体pYES2-BoD6D,气相色谱检测结果表明BoD6D在酵母中能够成功的将亚油酸催化生成γ-亚麻酸;成功构建了植物双元表达载体pBI121-BoD6D,卡那霉素抗性筛选和PCR鉴定结果表明已经成功获得BoD6D的拟南芥转化植株。通过以琉璃苣基因组DNA为模板比较方便的获得有功能的BoD6D用于转基因植物研究。     

Zinc finger nuclease-mediated transgene deletion

A transgene, flanked by zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) cleavage sites, was deleted from a stably transformed plant by crossing it with a second plant expressing a corresponding ZFN gene. A target construct, containing a GUS reporter gene flanked by ZFN cleavage sites, a GFP reporter gene and a PAT selectable marker gene, was transformed into tobacco. Basta^®-resistant plants were regenerated and screened for GUS and GFP expression. A second construct, containing a ZFN gene driven by the constitutive CsVMV promoter and an HPT selectable marker gene, was also transformed into tobacco. Selected T₀ plants were grown to maturity and allowed to self-pollinate. Homozygous target plants, which expressed GUS and GFP, were crossed with homozygous ZFN plants, which expressed the ZFN gene. Numerous GUS-negative plants were observed among the hybrids with one particular cross displaying ~35% GUS-negative plants. Evidence for complete deletion of a 4.3 kb sequence comprising the GUS gene was obtained and sequence confirmed. Co-segregation in F₂ progenies of ‘truncated’ and ‘intact’ target sequences with expected reporter gene phenotypes were observed. Since ZFNs can be designed to bind and cleave a wide range of DNA sequences, these results constitute a general strategy for creating targeted gene deletions.     

Development of transformation vectors based upon a modified plant alpha-tubulin gene as the selectable marker

A plant transformation and selection system has been developed utilizing a modified tubulin gene as a selectable marker. The vector constructs carrying a mutant alpha-tubulin gene from goosegrass conferring resistance to dinitroaniline herbicides were created for transformation of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. These constructs contained beta- and/or mutant alpha-tubulin genes driven either by ubiquitin or CaMV 35S promoter. The constructs were used for biolistic transformation of finger millet and soybean or for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of flax and tobacco. Trifluralin, the main representative of dinitroaniline herbicides, was used as a selective agent in experiments to select transgenic cells, tissues and plantlets. Selective concentrations of trifluralin estimated for each species were as follows: 10 microM for Eleusine coracana, Glycine max, Nicotiana plumbaginifolia and Nicotiana sylvestris; 3 microM for Linum usitatissimum. PCR and Southern blotting analyses of transformed lines with a specific probe to nptII, alpha-tubulin or beta-tubulin genes were performed to confirm the transgenic nature of regenerated plants. Band specific for the mutant alpha-tubulin gene was identified in transformed plant lines. Results confirmed the stable integration of the mutant tubulin gene into the plant genomes. The present study clearly demonstrates the use of a plant mutant tubulin as a selective gene for plant transformation.     

TA29-barnase基因转化甘蓝产生雄性不育植株

用PCR技术从烟草革新1号品种的总DNA中扩增了TA29基因的启动子和从解淀粉芽孢杆菌的总DNA中扩增了核糖核酸水解酶基因(barnse),将其构建成融合基因,并克隆于pCAMBIA2301载体上。通过根癌农杆茵介导转化甘蓝下胚轴,经Km选择压下连续选择、扩繁和进行生根培养,获得了甘蓝转基因植株。经GUS、PCR和Southernblot检测,证明TA29-bar-nase融合基因已经整合至转基因植株的染色体中。经花器官观察,转基因植株中有雄蕊退化的雄性不育和半不育植株出现。用正常花粉对不育株进行人工授粉,不育株能正常结实,这表明转基因不育植株的雌性器官发育正常,其不育性与TA29-barnse融合基因在转基因植株中的表达有关。     

Direct gene transfer to plants

Evidence for direct, gene-mediated stable genetic transformation of plant cells of Nicotiana tabacum is presented. A selectable hybrid gene comprising the protein coding region of the Tn5 aminoglycoside phosphotransferase type II gene under control of cauliflower mosaic virus gene VI expression signals was introduced into plant protoplasts as part of an Escherichia coli plasmid. The gene was stably integrated into plant genomic DNA and constitutively expressed in selected, drug resistant, protoplast-derived cell clones. The mode of integration of the foreign gene into the plant genome resembled that observed for DNA transfection of mammalian cells. Plants regenerated from transformed cell lines were phenotypically normal and fertile, and they maintained and expressed the foreign gene throughout the development of vegetative and generative organs. Microspores, grown in anther culture, developed into resistant and sensitive haploid plantlets. Genetic crossing analysis of one of the transformed plants revealed the presence of one dominant trait for kanamycin resistance segregating in a Mendelian fashion in the F₁ generation.     

Modified ELISA for the detection of neomycin phosphotransferase II in transformed plant species

 Identifying transformed plant lines carrying the antibiotic resistance marker gene, neomycin phosphotransferase II, requires a more definitive test than the ability of the plant to grow on kanamycin. Although a number of alternative assays have been described, most are cumbersome, time consuming and/or require the use of radioisotopes. This report describes an ELISA for the detection of the neomycin phosphotransferase II enzyme in transformed plant tissue. The ELISA utilises commercially available antibodies and provides a number of advantages, including an extremely low background, a reduction in the amount of tissue required for testing, and semi-quantitative data on neomycin phosphotransferase II gene expression. This method has been applied successfully to a number of independently transformed lines in nine plant species. Received: 4 January 1999 / Accepted: 17 April 1999     

Bioengineering of symbiotic systems: creation of new associative symbiosis with the use of lectins on the example of tobacco and colza

"Barbate roots" in tobacco and colza transgenic on lectin gene were obtained with the use of a wild strain of Agrobacterium rhizogenes 15834 transformed with pCAMBIA1305.1 plasmid containing the full-size lectin gene (psl) from the Pisum sativum. Influence of expression oflectin gene on colonization oftransgenic roots with symbiont of pea (Rhizobium leguminosarum) was investigated. The number of adhered bacteria onto the roots transformed with lectin gene was 14-fold and 37-fold higher in comparison with the control; this confirms the interaction of R. leguminosarum with pea lectin at the surface of the transformed roots of tobacco and colza. The developed experimental approach, based on the simulation of recognition processes and early symbiotic interactions with lectins of pea plants, may, in perspective, be used for obtaining stable associations of economically valuable, nonsymbiotrophic plant species with rhizobia.     

Construction and use ofAgrobacterium tumefaciens binary vectors withA. tumefaciens C58 T-DNA genes

Five plant morphoregulatory genes were isolated from the Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ti plasmid and binary plasmid vectors for plant transformation with these genes were constructed. All vectors have a similar structure with T-DNA borders, RK2 origin of replication and chimeric kanamycin resistance gene for the selection of transformed plant tissues. Over twenty vectors with single and combined morphoregulatory genes were constructed and their effects after tobacco tissue transformation studied.     

An efficient and reliable method for determining the number of transgenes inserted into transgenic plants

A simple and reliable method is described for determining the number of transgenes inserted into transgenic plants. Analysis of tomato plants transformed with an antisense polygalacturonase gene is used to demonstrate the method. The use of the method to analyze other plants transformed with endogenous plant gene coding regions or promoters is discussed.     

Construction and testing of an intron-containing luciferase reporter gene from<Emphasis Type="Italic">Renilla reniformis</Emphasis>

We describe a newRenilla reniformis luciferase reporter gene,RiLUC, which was designed to allow detection of luciferase activity in studies involvingAgrobacterium-based transient expression studies. TheRLUC gene was altered to contain a modified intron from the castor bean catalase gene while maintaining consensus eukaryotic splicing sites recognized by the plant spliceosome.RLUC andRiLUC reporter genes were fused to the synthetic plant SUPER promoter. Luciferase activity within agrobacteria containing the SUPER-RLUC construct increased during growth in culture. In contrast, agrobacteria harboring the SUPER-RiLUC gene fusion showed no detectable luciferase activity. Agrobacteria containing these gene fusions were cotransformed with a compatible normalization plasmid containing a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (CaMV) joined to the firefly luciferase coding region (FiLUC) and infused into tobacco leaf tissues through stomatal openings. The kinetics of luciferase production from theRLUC orRiLUC reporters were consistent, with expression of theRiLUC gene being limited to transiently transformed plant cells.RiLUC activity from the reporter gene fusions was measured transiently and within stably transformed tobacco leaf tissues. Analysis of stably transformed tobacco plants harboring either reporter gene fusion showed that the intron altered neither the levels of luciferase activity nor tissue-specific expression patterns driven by the SUPER promoter. These results demonstrate that theRiLUC reporter gene can be used to monitor luciferase expression in transient and stable transformation experiments without interference from contaminating agrobacteria.     

ACS和ACO基因克隆及植物转化

根据已知序列设计PCR引物,分别扩增氨基环丙烷羧酸合酶（ACS）和氨基环丙烷羧酸氧化酶（ACO）基因并克隆到中间载体,经限制性内切酶酶切图谱分析、部分序列分析以及Southern印迹鉴定后,将两个基因单个或相互串联后反向亚克隆至植物表达载体pBI121。经农杆菌LBA4404转化番茄子叶,在抗性培养基上得到8株ACS基因反义转化的生根小苗以ACS基因的酶切小片段作为探针,经Southern印迹分析,证明获得了两株阳性转化株。     

风疹病毒抗原基因E1植物表达载体的构建

目的:为了提高目的基因在番茄果实中的表达量,为进一步研究口服植物疫苗打下基础。方法:PCR扩增1.1kb番茄果实特异性启动子E8基因、460bp风疹病毒抗原E1基因、256bp NOS基因,将这些片段插入到pCAMBIA1301多克隆位点,得到植物表达载体pCAM1301E8-E1,经测序鉴定正确,将其转化至根癌农杆菌EHA105,然后进行酶切鉴定。结果:重组质粒酶切鉴定均得到预期片段,测序结果正确。结论:该实验成功构建番茄果实特异性启动子驱动风疹病毒E1基因的植物表达载体。     

小麦花粉管通道及子房注射法转化Anti-TrxS基因

为了获得抗穗发芽转基因小麦材料,以13个小麦品种(品系)为受体材料,用花粉管通道及子房注射法进行了硫氧还蛋白反义基因(Anti-TrxS)的遗传转化。花粉管通道法共转化小花2036朵,收获T0代种子1616粒,结实率为79．4％,将T0代种子大田点播,获T1代苗1424株,出苗率为88．1％。对T1代株系叶片基因组DNA进行PCR检测,31个株系中有16个株系呈阳性反应。子房注射法共转化小花1206朵,收获种子89粒,结实率为7．4％,T1代共出苗41株,出苗率为46．1％,对郑新991T1代株系进行PCR检测,电泳结果呈阳性反应。