A novel mutated acetolactate synthase gene conferring specific resistance to pyrimidinyl carboxy herbicides in rice

Acetolactate synthase (ALS) is the first common enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of branched-chain amino acids. Mutations of specific amino acids in ALS have been known to confer resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides such as sulfonylureas and pyrimidinyl carboxy (PC) herbicides. However, mutations conferring exclusive resistance to PC have not yet been reported to date. We selected PC resistant rice calli, which were derived from anther culture, using one of the PCs, bispyribac-sodium (BS), as a selection agent. Two lines of BS-resistant plants carrying a novel mutation, the 95th Glycine to Alanine (G95A), in ALS were obtained. In vitro ALS activity assay indicated that the recombinant protein of G95A-mutated ALS (ALS-G95A) conferred highly specific resistance to PC herbicides. In order to determine if the ALS-G95A gene could be used as a selection marker for rice transformation, the ALS-G95A gene was connected to ubiquitin promoter and introduced into rice. PC resistant plants containing integrated ALS-G95A gene were obtained after selection with BS as a selection agent. In conclusion, novel G95A mutated ALS gene confers highly specific resistant to PC-herbicides and can be used as a selection marker.     

Efficient transformation of wheat by using a mutated rice acetolactate synthase gene as a selectable marker

Acetolactate synthase (ALS) is a target enzyme for many herbicides, including sulfonylurea and imidazolinone. We investigated the usefulness of a mutated ALS gene of rice, which had double point mutations and encoded an herbicide-resistant form of the enzyme, as a selectable marker for wheat transformation. After the genomic DNA fragment from rice containing the mutated ALS gene was introduced into immature embryos by means of particle bombardment, transgenic plants were efficiently selected with the herbicide bispyribac sodium (BS). Southern blot analysis confirmed that transgenic plants had one to more than ten copies of the transgene in their chromosomes. Adjustment of the BS concentration combined with repeated selection effectively prevented nontransgenic plants from escaping herbicide selection. Measurement of ALS activity indicated that transgenic plants produced an herbicide-resistant form of ALS and therefore had acquired the resistance to BS. This report is the first to describe a selection system for wheat transformation that uses a selectable marker gene of plant origin.     

Mapping and marker-assisted selection for a gene for extreme resistance to potato virus Y

The chromosomal location of the major gene Ry _adg controlling extreme resistance to potato virus Y (PVY) in Solanum tuberosum subsp. andigena was identified by RFLP analysis of a diploid potato population. A total of 64 tomato and potato RFLP markers were screened with the bulked segregant analysis (BSA) on segregants extremely resistant, hypersensitive or susceptible to PVY. Four markers TG508, GP125, CD17 and CT168 at the proximal end of chromosome XI showed close linkage with extremely resistant phenotypes. TG508 was identified as the closest marker linked with the Ry _adg locus with the maximum map distance estimated as 2.0 cM. The 4 markers linked with the Ry _adg locus were tested on independent tetraploid and diploid potato clones and were subsequently found useful for marker-assisted selection for plants containing Ry _adg . Received: 5 July 1996 / Accepted: 19 July 1996     

Direct gene transfer in potato: A comparison of particle bombardment of leaf explants and PEG-mediated transformation of protoplasts

Direct gene transfer methods in potato would facilitate the transfer of multiple genes and the manipulation of metabolic pathways in this species. In this study, up to 1.8 transformation events per shot (=0.5 per bombarded leaf) and 67.2 events per million protoplasts treated were obtained with particle bombardment and PEG-mediated direct DNA uptake, respectively. Limited disassociation of both HPT and GUS genes appeared to occur during the process of integration in only 19% of transformants. A large number of transformed potato plants with transgene expression at levels comparable to Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was obtained. High levels of GUS expression were only obtained in lines derived from PEG treatment. No correlation between the number of gene insertions and gene expression levels was found, suggesting that multiple insertions may have little or no effect on transgene expression. W. Craig and D. Gargano contributed equally to this work     

Herbicide resistance due to amplification of a mutant acetohydroxyacid synthase gene

Summary We have selected a tobacco cell line, SU-27D5, that is highly resistant to sulfonylurea and imidazolinone herbicides. This line was developed by selection first on a lethal concentration of cinosulfuron and then on increasing concentrations of primisulfuron, both sulfonylurea herbicides. SU-27D5 was tested against five sulfonylureas and one imidazolinone herbicide and was shown, in every case, to be two to three orders of magnitude more resistant than wild-type cells. The acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) of SU-27D5 was 50- to 780-fold less sensitive than that of wild-type cells to herbicide inhibition. The specific activity of AHAS in the SU-27D5 cell lysate was 6 to 7 times greater than that in wild-type cells. Using Southern analysis, we showed that cell line SU-27D5 had amplified its SuRB AHAS gene about 20-fold while maintaining a normal diploid complement of the SuRA AHAS gene. Genomic clones of both AHAS genes were isolated and used to transform wild-type tobacco protoplasts. SuRB clones gave rise to herbicide-resistant transformants, whereas SuRA clones did not. DNA sequencing showed that all SuRB clones contained a point mutation at nucleotide 588 that converted amino acid 196 of AHAS from proline to serine. In contrast, no mutations were found in the SuRA clones. The stability of SuRB gene amplification was variable in the absence of selection. In one experiment, the withdrawal of selection reduced the copy number of the amplified SuRB gene to the normal level within 30 days. In another experiment, amplification remained stable after extended cultivation on herbicide-free medium. This is the first report of amplification of a mutant herbicide target gene that resulted in broad and strong herbicide resistance.     

利用可重复使用的URA3标记基因建立热带假丝酵母基因敲除系统

热带假丝酵母(Candida tropicalis)在发酵工业中具有重要的应用潜力,但二倍体遗传结构和较低的遗传转化效率限制了其代谢工程育种技术的应用。建立可靠的遗传转化技术并高效的删除目的基因是代谢工程改造热带假丝酵母的重要前提。文章以C. tropicalis ATCC 20336为出发菌株,通过化学诱变筛选获得了尿嘧啶缺陷型突变株C. tropicalis XZX(ura3/ura3)。以丙酮酸脱羧酶(Pyruvate decarboxylase,PDC)基因作为靶基因构建了两端包含同源臂并在选择性标记C. tropicalis URA3(Orotidine-5′-phosphate decarboxylase,乳清酸核苷-5-磷酸脱羧酶)基因两侧同向插入源于沙门氏菌(Salmonella typhimurium)的hisG序列的基因敲除盒PDC1-hisG-URA3-hisG- PDC1(PHUHP),并转化宿主菌株C. tropicalis XZX,筛选获得PHUHP片段正确整合到染色体的PDC基因位点的转化子XZX02。在此基础上,将转化子XZX02涂布于5-FOA(5-氟乳清酸)选择培养基上,筛选得到URA3基因从PHUHP片段中丢失的营养缺陷型菌株XZX03。进一步构建了第2个PDC等位基因的删除表达盒PDCm- URA3-PDCm,并转化C. tropicalis XZX03菌株,获得转化子C. tropicalis XZX04。经PCR和DNA测序确认转化子C. tropicalis XZX04细胞染色体上的两个PDC等位基因被成功敲除。文章建立了一种营养缺陷型标记可重复使用的热带假丝酵母遗传转化技术,利用该技术成功敲除了细胞的PDC基因,为进一步利用代谢工程改造热带假丝酵母奠定了基础。     

Early generation selection for agronomic characters in a potato breeding programme

Summary A random sample of seedlings representing high, medium and poor vigour was studied for tuber colour, tuber shape, eye depth, tuber cracking, tuber yield per plant, average tuber weight and number of tubers per plant in four successive generations (F₁, F₁, F₁C₂, and F₁C₃). Based on the performance of vigour groups in various generations and inter-generation correlation coefficients, we propose a procedure for the elimination of unproductive genotypes early in the breeding programme. The data indicates that seedlings of poor vigour can be discarded at the seedling stage prior to transplantation in the field. The rejection of clones on the basis of tuber colour, tuber shape, eye depth and tuber cracking can also be initiated at the seedling stage. For tuber yield and average tuber weight a negative selection (rejection of poor phenotypes) is suggested from the first clonal generation and for number of tubers, from second clonal generation, until statistically sound replicated trials can be conducted for carrying out positive selection.     

The salt-tolerance gene rstB can be used as a selectable marker in plant genetic transformation

The salt-tolerance gene rstB under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter was used as a selectable marker gene in the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi). The selective agent for plant regeneration was tolerance to 170 mM sodium chloride. The highest selection efficiency was 83.3%. No obvious differences in selection efficiencies were observed when those obtained using the standard selectable marker gene hpt and a selection regime of 10 mg l⁻¹ hygromycin. Transgenic events were confirmed by PCR, Southern blot, RT-PCR and green fluorescent protein studies. The rstB transgenic plants showed improved salt tolerance and a normal phenotype. Based on these results, we suggest that the rstB gene may be used as a promising selectable marker and an alternative to the antibiotic- or herbicide-resistance genes in plant transformation. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

A selection system for transgenic plants based on galactose as selective agent and a UDP-glucose:galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase gene as selective gene

A new selection system based on galactose as selective agent and a UDP-glucose:galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase gene as selective gene is presented. A broad range of plant species, including agronomically important crops such as maize and rice, is sensitive to low dosages of galactose. The toxicity of galactose is believed to be due to accumulation of galactose-1-phosphate, generated by endogenous galactokinase after uptake. Here, it is demonstrated that this toxicity can be sufficiently alleviated by the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated introduction of the E. coli UDP-glucose:galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (galT) gene, driven by a 35S-promoter, to allow transgenic shoots of potato and oil seed rape to regenerate on galactose containing selection media, resulting in high transformation frequencies (up to 35% for potato). Analysis of genomic DNA and UDP-glucose:galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase activity in randomly selected potato transformants confirmed the presence and active expression of the galT gene. The agricultural performance of transgenic potatoes was evaluated by monitoring the phenotype and tuber yield for two generations and these characters were found to be indistinguishable from non-transgenic controls. Thus, the galactose selection system provides a new alternative being distinct from conventional antibiotic and herbicide selection systems as well as so-called positive selection systems where the selective agent has a beneficial effect.     

Toward genetic transformation of mitochondria in mammalian cells using a recoded drug-resistant selection marker

Due to technical difficulties, the genetic transformation of mitochondria in mammalian cells is still a challenge. In this report, we described our attempts to transform mammalian mitochondria with an engineered mitochondrial genome based on selection using a drug resistance gene. Because the standard drug-resistant neomycin phosphotransferase confers resistance to high concentrations of G418 when targeted to the mitochondria, we generated a recoded neomycin resistance gene that uses the mammalian mitochondrial genetic code to direct the synthesis of this protein in the mitochondria, but not in the nucleus (mitochondrial version). We also generated a universal version of the recoded neomycin resistance gene that allows synthesis of the drug-resistant proteins both in the mitochondria and nucleus. When we transfected these recoded neomycin resistance genes that were incorporated into the mouse mitochondrial genome clones into mouse tissue culture cells by electroporation, no DNA constructs were delivered into the mitochondria. We found that the universal version of the recoded neomycin resistance gene was expressed in the nucleus and thus conferred drug resistance to G418 selection, while the synthetic mitochondrial version of the gene produced no background drug-resistant cells from nuclear transformation. These recoded synthetic drug-resistant genes could be a useful tool for selecting mitochondrial genetic transformants as a precise technology for mitochondrial transformation is developed.     

Molecular breeding of a novel herbicide-tolerant rice by gene targeting

We have previously reported the production of a rice cell line tolerant to the acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicide bispyribac (BS), and demonstrated that the BS-tolerant phenotype was due to a double mutation in the rice ALS gene. We further indicated that while changing either of the two amino acids (W548 L or S627I) individually resulted in a BS-tolerant phenotype, conversion of both amino acids simultaneously conferred increased tolerance to BS. As the BS-tolerant cell line had lost the ability to regenerate during two years of tissue culture selection, we attempted to introduce these two point mutations into the rice ALS gene via gene targeting (GT). Using our highly efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system in rice, we were able to regenerate 66 independent GT rice plants from 1500 calli. Furthermore, two-thirds of these plants harbored the two point mutations exclusively, without any insertion of foreign DNA such as border sequences of T-DNA. The GT plants obtained in the present study are therefore equivalent to non-GM herbicide-tolerant rice plants generated by conventional breeding approaches that depend on spontaneous mutations. Surprisingly, GT rice homozygous for the modified ALS locus showed hyper-tolerance to BS when compared to BS-tolerant plants produced by a conventional transgenic system; ALS enzymatic activity in plants homozygous for the mutated ALS gene was inhibited only by extremely high concentrations of BS. These results indicate that our GT method has successfully created novel herbicide-tolerant rice plants that are superior to those produced by conventional mutation breeding protocols or transgenic technology.     

A potato hypersensitive resistance gene against potato virus X maps to a resistance gene cluster on chromosome 5

 The dominant Nb gene of potato confers strain-specific hypersensitive resistance against potato virus X (PVX). A population segregating for Nb was screened for resistance by inoculating with PVX strain CP2, which is sensitive to Nb. Through a combination of bulked segregant analysis and selective restriction fragment amplification, several amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers linked to Nb were identified. These were cloned and converted into dominant cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers. The segregation of these markers in a Lycopersicon esculentum×L. pennellii mapping population suggested that Nb is located on chromosome 5. This was confirmed by examining resistant and susceptible potato individuals with several tomato and potato chromosome-5-specific markers. Nb maps to a region of chromosome 5 where several other resistance genes– including R1, a resistance gene against Phytophthora infestans, Gpa, a locus that confers resistance against Globodera pallida, and Rx2, a gene that confers extreme resistance against PVX–have previously been identified. Received: 2 January 1997/Accepted: 7 February 1997     

2-Deoxyglucose resistance: a novel selection marker for plant transformation

A novel selection marker for plant transformation alternative to antibiotic and herbicide resistance is described. The selective agent applied is 2-deoxyglucose (2-DOG) which in the cytosol of plant cells is phosphorylated by hexokinase yielding 2-DOG-6-phosphate (2-DOG-6-P). 2-DOG-6-P exerts toxic effects on overall cellular metabolism leading to cell death. We observed that constitutive expression of the yeast DOG ^R1 gene encoding a 2-DOG-6-P phosphatase resulted in resistance towards 2-DOG in transgenic tobacco plants. This finding was exploited to develop a selection system during transformation of tobacco and potato plants. The lowest concentration of 2-DOG leading to nearly complete inhibition of regeneration of wild-type explants was found to range between 400 and 600 mg/l 2-DOG for tobacco, potato and tomato plants. After Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation cells expressing the DOG ^R1 gene were selected by resistance to 2-DOG. More than 50% of tobacco explants formed shoots and on average 50% of these shoots harboured the DOG ^R1 gene. Similar results were obtained for potato cv. Solara. The acceptability of the resistance gene derived from baker's yeast, the unobjectionable toxicological data of 2-DOG as well as the normal phenotype of DOG ^R1-expressing plants support the use of this selection system in crop plant transformation.     

利用gfp报告基因优化农杆菌介导的水稻遗传转化

为提高农杆菌介导的水稻遗传转化效率,以晚粳97为转化材料,绿色荧光蛋白gfp基因为报告基因,采用正交试验L9(33)对影响农杆菌介导水稻的遗传转化因子进行优化。通过观察愈伤组织荧光表达情况,分析菌液浓度、共培养温度与共培养时间对农杆菌转化水稻的影响。结果表明,在OD660值为0.1、共培养21℃～23℃黑暗条件下,农杆菌与水稻愈伤共培养72 h,最有利于水稻的遗传转化,该条件下晚粳97愈伤组织荧光表达率达到70.9%。     

Engineering virus resistance using a modified potato gene

Natural mutations in translation initiation factor eIF4E confer resistance to potyviruses in many plant species. Potato is a staple food crop plagued by several potyviruses, yet to date no known eIF4E-mediated resistance genes have been identified. In this study, we demonstrate that transgenic expression of the pvr1(2) gene from pepper confers resistance to Potato virus Y (PVY) in potato. We then use this information to convert the susceptible potato ortholog of this allele into a de novo allele for resistance to PVY using site-directed mutagenesis. Potato plants overexpressing the mutated potato allele are resistant to virus infection. Resistant lines expressed high levels of eIF4E mRNA and protein. The resistant plants showed growth similar to untransformed controls and produced phenotypically similar tubers. This technique disrupts a key step in the viral infection process and may potentially be used to engineer virus resistance in a number of economically important plant-viral pathosystems. Furthermore, the general public may be more amenable to the 'intragenic' nature of this approach because the transferred coding region is modified from a gene in the target crop rather than from a distant species.     

A mutation at the Ala122 position of acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) located on chromosome 6D of wheat: improved resistance to imidazolinone and a faster assay for marker assisted selection

A new mutation at the acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) locus on chromosome 6D of wheat was analyzed in detail because it conferred an improved resistance to the imidazolinone group of herbicides. Sequence analysis showed that the mutation was at the Ala122 position (A122T), a position in AHAS which has not to date been identified in imidazolinone resistant wheat lines even though the position has been identified in other plants and is associated with resistance. An allele-specific assay for the mutation (in the wheat line Brookton-8) was developed and used in a genetic analysis. Two mapping populations were analysed and the doubled haploid progeny from the cross Brookton-8 × Clearfield STL proved to be most informative. The AHAS^Ala122 mutation (A122T) was allelic to the AHAS^Ser653 mutation (S653N) in Clearfield STL (Imi1, on chromosome 6D) and hence was assigned to the chromosome 6D locus. The analysis of the doubled haploid lines in the mapping population demonstrated the greater resistance conferred by the A122T mutation because lines from the same cross and carrying either the A122T or S653N mutations could be directly compared. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Sulfonamide resistance gene for plant transformation

The sulfonamide resistance gene from plasmid R46 encodes for a mutated dihydropteroate synthase insensitive to inhibition by sulfonamides. Its coding sequence was fused to the pea ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase transit peptide sequence. Incubation of isolated chloroplasts with the fusion protein synthesised in vitro, showed that the bacterial enzyme was transported to the chloroplast stroma and processed into a mature form. Expression of the gene fusion in transgenic plants resulted in a high level of resistance to sulfonamides. Direct selection of transformed shoots on leaf explants was efficient using sulfonamides as sole selective agents. Transformed shoots rooted normally on sulfonamides at concentrations toxic for untransformed ones. Sulfonamide resistance was transmitted to the progeny of transformed plants as a single Mendelian dominant character. These results demonstrate that this chimeric gene can be used as an efficient and versatile selectable marker for plant transformation.     

草酸氧化酶基因转化烟草的研究

为研究草酸氧化酶基因(OxO)对植物抗病的作用,将含有CaMV 35s启动子的植物表达载体以根癌农杆菌(Agrobacterium tumefaciens)介导的叶盘方法,转化了烟草97131。具有卡那霉素抗性的再生植株经PCR检测,得到了与阳性对照一致的470bp的片段,进一步对PCR产物测序表明OxO基因已整合进烟草基因组中。在对草酸的耐受性实验中,转基因烟草对草酸的抗性明显高于未转化烟草。