Comparative analysis of transgenic tall fescue (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Festuca arundinacea</Emphasis> Schreb.) plants obtained by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-mediated transformation and particle bombardment

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and particle bombardment are the two most widely used methods for genetically modifying grasses. Here, these two systems are compared for transformation efficiency, transgene integration and transgene expression when used to transform tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). The bar gene was used as a selectable marker and selection during tissue culture was performed using 2 mg/l bialaphos in both callus induction and regeneration media. Average transformation efficiency across the four callus lines used in the experiments was 10.5% for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and 11.5% for particle bombardment. Similar transgene integration patterns and co-integration frequencies of bar and uidA were observed in both gene transfer systems. However, while GUS activity was detected in leaves of 53% of the Agrobacterium transformed lines, only 20% of the bombarded lines showed GUS activity. Thus, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation appears to be the preferred method for producing transgenic tall fescue plants.     

Agrobacterium-mediated large-scale transformation of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using glyphosate selection

An Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system with glyphosate selection has been developed for the large-scale production of transgenic plants. The system uses 4-day precultured immature embryos as explants. A total of 30 vectors containing the 5-enol-pyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase gene from Agrobacterium strain CP4 (aroA:CP4), which confers resistance to glyphosate, were introduced into wheat using this system. The aroA:CP4 gene served two roles in this study-selectable marker and gene of interest. More than 3,000 transgenic events were produced with an average transformation efficiency of 4.4%. The entire process from isolation of immature embryos to production of transgenic plantlets was 50-80 days. Transgenic events were evaluated over several generations based on genetic, agronomic and molecular criteria. Forty-six percent of the transgenic events fit a 3:1 segregation ratio. Molecular analysis confirmed that four of six lead transgenic events selected from Agrobacterium transformation contained a single insert and a single copy of the transgene. Stable expression of theAROA:CP4 gene was confirmed by ELISA through nine generations. A comparison of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to a particle bombardment system demonstrated that the Agrobacterium system is reproducible, has a higher transformation efficiency with glyphosate selection and produces higher quality transgenic events in wheat. One of the lead events from this study, no. 33391, has been identified as a Roundup Ready wheat commercial candidate.     

Transgene inheritance in plants

The patterns of transgene inheritance in plants and the possible explanations for non-Mendelian transmission are reviewed. The non-Mendelian inheritance of a transgene has been recorded with a frequency between 10% and 50% in transgenic plants produced either by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation or through particle bombardment. Different effects such as deletion, duplication, rearrangement, repeated sequence recombination as well as gene interaction have been observed for transgenic loci. The nature of the recipient genome, nature of the transgene and the interactions between them seem to contribute to the non-Mendelian segregation of transgenes.     

甲型肝炎病毒衣壳蛋白融合基因植物表达载体的构建 与遗传转化柑桔的研究

基因工程领域的研究进展使得植物体成为具有重要经济价值的药用蛋白的生产体系。以含甲型肝炎病毒结构基因cDNA的克隆载体pCDNAⅡA16为模板,用甲型肝炎病毒衣壳蛋白融合基因特异引物进行PCR扩增,得到全长2.2kb衣壳蛋白融合基因序列。经测序鉴定后正向克隆于植物表达载体pBI121中,衣壳蛋白融合基因位于pBI121质粒T-DNA左右边界区间内,处于CaMV35S启动子控制之下。经限制性内切酶分析和PCR鉴定后利用冻融法将重组质粒pBI121-A导入根癌农杆菌LBA4404。以锦橙 (Citrus. Sinensis Osbeck) 上胚轴为转化材料,通过根癌农杆菌介导法将衣壳蛋白融合基因转 化到植物基因组中。120株转化外植体经卡那霉素50 mg/L筛选,其中13株生长状况良好未出现白化现象的拟转化芽微嫁接到实生砧木继续培养。PCR分析证明,13株拟转化植株中有5株植物基因组中已导入甲型肝炎病毒衣壳蛋白融合基因,转化率为4.1%。此研究是对遗传转化柑桔表达外源蛋白的初步探讨,为进一步研究食用疫苗开辟了新途径。Abstract: The use of edible plants for the production and delivery of vaccine proteins could provide an economical alternative to fermentation systems. The construction of the plant expression vector pBI121-A was reported, which contained a fusion gene encoding hepatitis A capsid proteins. The gene was located between the left and right Ti border sequences under the control of CaMV35S promoter. The vector was identified via PCR and restriction enzyme analysis and was introduced into Agrobacterium tumerifacience LBA4404. The transgenic Citrus plants were produced by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of epicotyl segments. 13 putatively transformed plants through the kanamycin selection were micrografted onto the seedlings. The presence and integration of the transgene had been verified by PCR analysis. The result showed that five transformants were integrated and the transformation efficiency was 4.1%.     

Genomic stability and long-term transgene expression in poplar

Stable expression of foreign genes over the entire life span of a plant is important for long-lived organisms such as trees. For transgenic forest trees, very little information is available on long-term transgene expression and genomic stability. Independent transgenic lines obtained directly after transformation are initially screened in respect to T-DNA integration and transgene expression. However, very little consideration has been given to long-term transgene stability in long-lived forest trees. We have investigated possible genome wide changes following T-DNA integration as well as long-term stability of transgene expression in different transgenic lines of hybrid aspen (Populus tremula × Populus tremuloides) that are up to 19 years old. For studies on possible genome wide changes following T-DNA integration, four different independent rolC-transgenic lines were subjected to an extensive AFLP study and compared to the non-transgenic control line. Only minor genomic changes following T-DNA integration could be detected. To study long-term transgene expression, six different independent rolC-transgenic lines produced in 1993 and since that time have been kept continuously under in vitro conditions. In addition, 18 transgenic plants belonging to eight independent rolC-transgenic lines transferred to glasshouse between 1994 and 2004 were chosen to determine the presence and expression of the rolC gene. In all transgenic lines examined, the rolC gene could successfully be amplified by PCR tests. Both, the 19 years old tissue cultures and the up to 18 years old glasshouse-grown trees revealed expression of the rolC transgene, as demonstrated by the rolC-phenotype and/or northern blot experiments confirming long-term transgene expression.     

Field performance of transgenic citrus trees: Assessment of the long-term expression of uidA and nptII transgenes and its impact on relevant agronomic and phenotypic characteristics

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The future of genetic transformation as a tool for the improvement of fruit trees depends on the development of proper systems for the assessment of unintended effects in field-grown GM lines. In this study, we used eight transgenic lines of two different citrus types (sweet orange and citrange) transformed with the marker genes beta-glucuronidase (uidA) and neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) as model systems to study for the first time in citrus the long-term stability of transgene expression and whether transgene-derived pleiotropic effects occur with regard to the morphology, development and fruit quality of orchard-grown GM citrus trees. RESULTS: The stability of the integration and expression of the transgenes was confirmed in 7-year-old, orchard-grown transgenic lines by Southern blot analysis and enzymatic assays (GUS and ELISA NPTII), respectively. Little seasonal variation was detected in the expression levels between plants of the same transgenic line in different organs and over the 3 years of analysis, confirming the absence of rearrangements and/or silencing of the transgenes after transferring the plants to field conditions. Comparisons between the GM citrus lines with their non-GM counterparts across the study years showed that the expression of these transgenes did not cause alterations of the main phenotypic and agronomic plant and fruit characteristics. However, when comparisons were performed between diploid and tetraploid transgenic citrange trees and/or between juvenile and mature transgenic sweet orange trees, significant and consistent differences were detected, indicating that factors other than their transgenic nature induced a much higher phenotypic variability. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that transgene expression in GM citrus remains stable during long-term agricultural cultivation, without causing unexpected effects on crop characteristics. This study also shows that the transgenic citrus trees expressing the selectable marker genes that are most commonly used in citrus transformation were substantially equivalent to the non-transformed controls with regard to their overall agronomic performance, as based on the use of robust and powerful assessment techniques. Therefore, future studies of the possible pleiotropic effects induced by the integration and expression of transgenes in field-grown GM citrus may focus on the newly inserted trait(s) of biotechnological interest.     

转基因植物中T-DNA整合的分子特征及表达

植物中不同转基因方法转化外源基因的T-DNA整合特征既具有共性,又具有特性,使得转基因的遗传在各独立转化体间呈现多样性,另外多种遗传因子和限制因素使受体植物中外源基因的表达存在下降,甚至出现基因沉默等复杂现象。本文主要对农杆菌介导及裸露DNA直接转化转基因植物中T-DNA的分子特征和转基因表达的影响因子进行了介绍和概述。转化体中转基因的遗传稳定性和表达主要取决于转基因在植物基因组中的整合位置、拷贝数及组成结构。因而,通过对具有表达水平各异的转化体进行深入的遗传分析和分子生物学研究以及转化体之间进行的比较研究,将对转基因技术自身的完善、定点整合以及更有效的利用转基因技术都具有十分重要的意义。     

Transgene stability and dispersal in forest trees

Transgenics from several forest tree species, carrying a number of commercially important recombinant genes, have been produced, and are undergoing confined field trials in a number of countries. However, there are questions and issues regarding stability of transgene expression and transgene dispersal that need to be addressed in long-lived forest trees. Variation in transgene expression is not uncommon in the primary transformants in plants, and is undesirable as it requires screening a large number of transformants in order to select transgenic lines with acceptable levels of transgene expression. Therefore, the current focus of plant transformation is toward fine tuning of transgene expression and stability in the transgenic forest trees. Although a number of studies have reported a relatively stable transgene expression for several target traits, including herbicide resistance, insect resistance, and lignin modification, there was also some unintended transgene instability in the genetically modified (GM) forest trees. Transgene dispersal from GM trees to feral forest populations and their containment remain important biological and regulatory issues facing commercial release of GM trees. Containment of transgenes must be in place to effectively prevent escape of transgenic pollen, seed, and vegetative propagules in economically important GM forest trees before their commercialization. Therefore, it is important to devise innovative technologies in genetic engineering that lead to genetically stable transgenic trees not only for qualitative traits (herbicide resistance, insect resistance), but also for quantitative traits (accelerated growth, increased height, increased wood density), and also prevent escape of transgenes in the forest trees.     

水稻单拷贝Xa21近等转基因系的培育与抗性分析

植物转基因的表达在一定程度上受其所在宿主基因组整合位置的影响 ,通常称为转基因位置效应。利用农杆菌介导法将抗白叶枯病基因Xa21转入水稻品种明恢 63,获得带有不同转基因拷贝数的转化体。对转化体连续自交 ,并对转基因整合位点进行鉴定和筛选 ,获得了明恢63遗传背景下整合在不同染色体位点的单拷贝Xa21转基因纯合系。这些转基因系除一个单拷贝转基因整合位点外 ,在基因组水平上是等同的 ,构成了近等转基因系。经分子杂交和遗传定位验证 ,共获得明恢63遗传背景下的6个近等转基因系。对这些近等转基因系进行抗白叶枯病分析,显示出几乎相同的高抗水平。这表明整合位点对Xa21的抗性没有影响 ,不存在转基因位置效应.     

Overexpression of HVA1 gene from barley generates tolerance to salinity and water stress in transgenic mulberry (Morus indica)

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are members of a large group of hydrophilic proteins found primarily in plants. The barley hva1 gene encodes a group 3 LEA protein and is induced by ABA and water deficit conditions. We report here the over expression of hva1 in mulberry under a constitutive promoter via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Molecular analysis of the transgenic plants revealed the stable integration and expression of the transgene in the transformants. Transgenic plants were subjected to simulated salinity and drought stress conditions to study the role of hva1 in conferring tolerance. The transgenic plants showed better cellular membrane stability (CMS), photosynthetic yield, less photo-oxidative damage and better water use efficiency as compared to the non-transgenic plants under both salinity and drought stress. Under salinity stress, transgenic plants show many fold increase in proline concentration than the non-transgenic plants and under water deficit conditions proline is accumulated only in the non-transgenic plants. Results also indicate that the production of HVA1 proteins helps in better performance of transgenic mulberry by protecting membrane stability of plasma membrane as well as chloroplastic membranes from injury under abiotic stress. Interestingly, it was observed that hva1 conferred different degrees of tolerance to the transgenic plants towards various stress conditions. Amongst the lines analysed for stress tolerance transgenic line ST8 was relatively more salt tolerant, ST30, ST31 more drought tolerant, and lines ST11 and ST6 responded well under both salinity and drought stress conditions as compared to the non-transgenic plants. Thus hva1 appears to confer a broad spectrum of tolerance under abiotic stress in mulberry.     

根癌农杆菌介导的水稻转化研究进展

农杆菌介导的水稻基因转化是水稻基因转化的热门。本文对由农杆菌介导转化获得的水稻品系（品种）,影响农杆菌介导转化的因素,农村菌浸染的方法,外源基因的检测和遗传等方面作综合论述,并提出了农杆菌介导转化水稻的前景。     

A chemical-inducible Cre-LoxP system allows for elimination of selection marker genes in transgenic apricot

Transgenic plant development relies on the introduction of marker genes along with the gene(s) of interest to select and/or identify transgenic regenerants. Due to public concerns and regulatory issues, it would be advantageous to eliminate these marker genes once they are no longer needed. The chemical-inducible Cre-LoxP system is especially suitable for clonally-propagated plants, such as fruit trees, as no sexual crosses or rounds of transformation are required for marker-gene elimination. In this study, four transgenic pX6-GFP apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) (cv. Helena) lines, carrying the gfp reporter gene encoding for the green fluorescent protein, were obtained following Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of leaf explants. The DNA site-specific recombination was precise and tightly controlled by the inducer ??-estradiol. Expression of the gfp gene was only detected when 3???M ??-estradiol was added to the medium. When nodal explants were incubated on a meristem development medium supplemented with 3???M ??-estradiol, marker gene elimination was observed in buds of all four transgenic lines, at an average frequency of 11.3?%, based on GFP expression. Further molecular analyses of four GFP-positive shoots, a single shoot from each transgenic line, revealed that DNA recombination was complete in two of shoots, but incomplete in the other two shoots.     

Integration and inheritance of transgenes in crop plants and trees

Transgene integration and inheritance have been investigated in a number of crop plants and few tree species. Transgene integration is predominantly a random process, whether mediated by Agrobacterium or particle bombardment. Depending on the genomic position of the integrated transgene and structure of the integration site as well as copy number of the transgene in the genome, its expression may be stable or variable. Therefore, integration patterns would affect the mode of transgene inheritance in plants, regardless of the method of gene transfer. So far, both Mendelian and non-Mendelian inheritance of transgenes has been reported across several generations (T1–T3) of crop plants. In few tree species (apple, poplar, plum, and American chestnut), mostly Mendelian inheritance of the transgenes has been observed in the T1 or BC1 generations. However, detailed studies in the transgenic papaya trees showed Mendelian segregation of the transgene in the T1 generation but non-Mendelian inheritance in the T2 generation. Variation in transgene inheritance was also detected in transgenic apple and plum trees. Long generation cycles in many economically important tree species preclude investigation of inheritance of transgenes in the tree progeny. Production of early flowering trees, either by genetic modification or by environmental modulation, would facilitate the study of transgene inheritance across generations of transgenic trees. In order to overcome problems of randomness of transgene integration, targeted transgene insertions by homologous or site-specific recombination or by designer recombinases or nucleases offer prospects for stable integration of transgenes in predetermined locations in the plant genome. And perhaps, that might provide a platform for stable expression and Mendelian inheritance of transgenes in plants.     

猪心脏脂肪酸结合蛋白基因PCR-RFLP分子标记研究

利用PCR-RFLP分子标记技术,检测了杜洛克、长白、大白、内江、荣昌、汉江黑、汉白、八眉和野猪共计265头猪心脏脂肪酸结合蛋白基因5'上游区和第二内含子区的遗传变异。结果表明,在HinfI-RFLP位点上,上述猪种和野猪均存在多态性,等位基因H的频率分别为0.7500,0.7188,0.9167,0.3333,0.1250,0.6909,0.1167,0.8500和0.9375;除汉江黑猪(P<0.05)和野猪(P<0.01)外,其余的猪种基因频率和基因型频率都处于Hardy-Weinderg平衡状态(P>0.05);大白、八眉、汉江黑、汉白和野猪表现为低度多态(PIC<0.25),杜洛克、长白、内江和荣昌猪为中度多态性(0.25相似文献