Introduction and constitutive expression of a rice chitinase gene in bread wheat using biolistic bombardment and the bar gene as a selectable marker

 Our long-term goal is to control wheat diseases through the enhancement of host plant resistance. The constitutive expression of plant defense genes to control fungal diseases can be engineered by genetic transformation. Our experimental strategy was to biolistically transform wheat with a vector DNA containing a rice chitinase gene under the control of the CaMV 35 S promoter and the bar gene under control of the ubiquitin promoter as a selectable marker. Immature embryos of wheat cv ‘Bobwhite’ were bombarded with plasmid pAHG11 containing the rice chitinase gene chi11 and the bar gene. The embryos were subcultured on MS2 medium containing the herbicide bialaphos. Calli were then transferred to a regeneration medium, also containing bialaphos. Seventeen herbicide-resistant putative transformants (T₀) were selected after spraying with 0.2% Liberty, of which 16 showed bar gene expression as determined by the phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) assay. Of the 17 plants, 12 showed the expected 35-kDa rice chitinase as revealed by Western blot analysis. The majority of transgenic plants were morphologically normal and self-fertile. The integration, inheritance and expression of the chi11 and bar genes were confirmed by Southern hybridization, PAT and Western blot analysis of T₀ and T₁ transgenic plants. Mendelian segregation of herbicide resistance was observed in some T₁ progenies. Interestingly, a majority of the T₁ progeny had very little or no chitinase expression even though the chitinase transgene was intact. Because PAT gene expression under control of the ubiquitin promoter was unaffected, we conclude that the CaMV 35 S promoter is selectively inactivated in T₁ transgenic wheat plants. Received: 12 May 1998 / Accepted: 15 May 1998     

Basta tolerance as a selectable and screening marker for transgenic plants of Norway spruce

The bar gene conferring resistance to the herbicide Basta (containing phosphinothricin) was transferred to embryogenic cultures of Picea abies by particle bombardment and transformants were selected on Basta medium. In total, 83 9-month-old transgenic plants of Picea abies from six transformed sublines were analysed for continued tolerance to Basta. PCR analysis showed that the bar gene was present in all transformed plants but not in the control plants. Northern blot analysis showed differences in expression level among plants from the same subline as well as among sublines. A simple biotest for screening for Basta tolerance based on the colour change of detached needles induced by Basta was developed. The tolerance to Basta varied among the plants from different sublines. Needles from four of the sublines were resistant to 100 mg l⁻¹ phosphinothricin, a concentration inducing yellowing in control needles, while plants from the other two sublines were on average two to four times as resistant as untransformed control plants. The biotest enables rapid semi-quantitative monitoring for continued transgene expression in long-lived tree species. Received: 21 October 1999 / Revision received: 24 January 2000 / Accepted: 24 January 2000     

Transformation of Lotus japonicus using the herbicide resistance bar gene as a selectable marker

Transgenic plants of the model legume Lotus japonicus were regenerated by hypocotyl transformation using a bar gene as a selectable marker. The bar encodes for Phosphinothricin Acetyl Transferase that detoxifies phosphinothricin (PPT), the active ingredient of herbicides such as Ignite (AgrEvo) and Basta (Hoechst). Transgenic L. japonicus plants resistant to PPT were positive upon PCR by bar gene-specific primers. In 5 out of 7 independent lines tested, PPT resistance segregated as a single dominant allele indicating a single T-DNA insertion into the plant genome. All regenerated plants were fertile and void of visible somaclonal abnormalities contrary to 14% infertility when antibiotic selectable markers were used. The lack of somaclonal variation, ease of PPT application and low cost of PPT makes this protocol an attractive alternative for the regeneration of transgenic L. japonicus. The production of PPT herbicide-resistant L. japonicus plants may have significant commercial applications in crop production.     

Efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana using the bar gene as selectable marker

Summary We have established an efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation procedure for Arabidopsis thaliana genotype C24 using the chimeric bialaphos resistance gene (bar) coding for phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT). Hypocotyl explants from young seedlings cocultivated with agrobacteria carrying a bar gene were selected on shoot-inducing media containing different concentrations of phosphinothricin (PPT) which is an active component of bialaphos. We found that 20 mg/l of PPT completely inhibited the control explants from growing whereas the explants transformed with the bar gene gave rise to multiple shoots resistant to PPT after 3 weeks under the same selection conditions. The transformation system could also be applied to root explants. Resulting plantlets could produce viable seeds in vitro within 3 months after preparation of the explants. The stable inheritance of the resistance trait, the integration and expression of the bar gene in the progeny were confirmed by genetic tests, Southern analysis and PAT enzyme assay, respectively. In addition, the mature plants in soil showed tolerance to the herbicide Basta.Abbreviations bar bialaphos resistance gene - CIM callus-inducing medium - DTNB 5,5-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) - GM germination medium - HPT hygromycin phosphotransferase - MS Murashige and Skoog salts - NPTII neomycin phosphotransferase II - PAT phosphinothricin acetyltransferase - PPT phosphinothricin - SIM shoot-inducing medium     

Bialaphos selection of stable transformants from maize cell culture

Summary Stable transformed Black Mexican Sweet (BMS) maize callus was recovered from suspension culture cells bombarded with plasmid DNA that conferred resistance to the herbicide bialaphos. Suspension culture cells were bombarded with a mixture of two plasmids. One plasmid contained a selectable marker gene, bar, which encoded phosphinothricin acetyl transferase (PAT), and the other plasmid encoded a screenable marker for -glucuronidase (GUS). Bombarded cells were selected on medium containing the herbicide bialaphos, which is cleaved in plant cells to yield phosphinothricin (PPT), an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase. The bialaphos-resistant callus contained the bar gene and expressed PAT as assayed by PPT inactivation. Transformants that expressed high levels of PAT grew more rapidly on increasing concentrations of bialaphos than transformants expressing low levels of PAT. Fifty percent of the bialaphos-resistant transformants tested (8 of 16) expressed the nonselected gene encoding GUS.     

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.     

Transformation of Brassica napus by using the aadA gene as selectable marker and inheritance studies of the marker genes

An Agrobacterium tumefaciens -mediated transformation system for Brassica napus has been improved. We investigated several marker genes for transformation of Brassica napus , and the aadA gene, which confers resistance to streptomycin and spectinomycin, was found to be the most suitable. Forty-three out of 193 putative transformants in the T₁ generation were investigated by Southern blot analysis. Transformants containing a range of 1 to 10 integrated T-DNA copies per genome were found. Total DNA from 35 plants showed hybridisation to both the aadA and the nptll marker gene probes, from 5 plants only to one marker gene probe and from 3 plants DNA did not hybridise to any of the gene probes. Furthermore, more complex integration patterns such as direct repeated copies of the T-DNA, both as tandem and inverted copies, were observed. Inheritance of the marker genes in the T₂ generation was studied in 37 of the plants. This revealed that 22% of the plants that contained both marker genes, segregated as one single locus (3:1) for both genes, while 46% of the plants gave a segregation pattern corresponding to one T-DNA locus for at least one of the marker genes. Moreover, these inheritance patterns appeared to be more or less independent of the number of genes seen in the Southern blot analysis of the T, generation. In this study we show that the introduced marker genes are inherited by the T; generation in a less predictable way than was earlier reported for B. napus .     

Expression of a synthetic cholera toxin B subunit in tobacco using ubiquitin promoter and bar gene as a selectable marker

A protocol has been developed to produce a cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) in tobacco tolerant to the herbicide phosphinothricin (PPT) by means of in vitro selection. The synthetic CTB subunit gene was altered to modify the codon usage to that of tobacco plant genes. The gene was then cloned into a plant expression vector and was under the control of the ubiquitin promoter and transformed into tobacco plants by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transgenic plantlets were selected in a medium supplemented with 5 mg/L PPT. Polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed stable integration of the synthetic CTB gene into a chromosomal DNA. A high level of CTB (1.8% of total soluble protein) was expressed in transgenic plants, which was 18-fold higher than that under the control of the expressed CaMV 35S promoter with native gene. The transgenic plants when transferred to a greenhouse proved to be resistant to 2% PPT.     

Arabitol dehydrogenase as a selectable marker for rice

Arabitol dehydrogenase has been adapted for use as a plant selectable marker. Arabitol is a five-carbon sugar alcohol that can be used by E. coli strain C, but not by the laboratory K12 strains. The enzyme converts the non-plant-metabolizable sugar arabitol into xylulose, which is metabolized by plant cells. Rice was transformed with a plant-expression-optimized synthetic gene using Biolistic-mediated transformation. Selection on 2.75% arabitol and 0.25% sucrose yielded a transformation efficiency (9.3%) equal to that obtained with hygromycin (9.2%). Molecular analyses showed that the atlD gene was integrated into the rice genome of selected plants and was inherited in a Mendelian manner. This study indicates that arabitol could serve as an effective means of plant selection.     

Co-transformation using a negative selectable marker gene for the production of selectable marker gene-free transgenic plants

A negative selectable marker gene, codA, was successfully co-transformed with a GUS reporter gene to develop selectable marker gene-free transgenic plants. The pNC binary vector contained a T-DNA harboring the codA gene next to the nptII gene, while a second binary vector, pHG, contained a GUS reporter gene. Tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsun NN) were co-transformed via the mixture method with Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404 strains harboring pNC and pHG, respectively. Seeds harvested from the co-transformants were sown on germination media containing 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC). Analysis of the progeny by GUS staining and PCR amplification revealed that all of the 5-FC-resistant R₁ plants were codA free, and that the codA gene segregated independently of the GUS gene. Because codA-free seedlings developed normally on 5-FC-containing medium, we suggest that co-transformation with negatively selectable markers is a viable method for the production of easily distinguished, selectable marker gene-free transgenic plants.     

Propagation of three orchid genera using encapsulated protocorm-like bodies

Summary Protocorm-like bodies (plbs) of the orchid Dendrobium ‘Sonia’ were obtained from fractionated plb explants on Murashiga and Skoog (1962) medium (MS) supplemented with 4.44 μM 6-benzylaminopurine (BA). The developmental stage of plbs to be encapsulated, concentrations of sodium alginate (2–5%) and calcium chloride (25–100 mM), and concentration of MS salts in the matrix were assessed. Fractionated plbs 13–15 d after culture were at the leaf primordia stage and found suitable for encapsulation studies. The best encapsulation response was observed with 3% sodium alginate upon complexation with 75 mM CaCl₂.2H₂O. An encapsulation matrix prepared with MS medium (three-quarter strength) supplemented with 0.44 μM BA and 0.54 μM α-naphthaleneacetic acid gave 100% conversion of encapsulated plbs to plants after storage. A viability of >85% of encapsulated plbs of Dendrobium ‘Sonia’ was observed for 75 d at 4°C. Encapsulated plbs of orchids Dendrobium, Oncidium, and Cattleya were stored at 4°C for 75, 60 and 30 d, respectively, with >88% germination. All plants survived potting in media having either wood charcoal pieces alone or in combination with brick pieces.     

Cloning and characterization of the Pichia pastoris MET2 gene as a selectable marker

We describe the isolation and characterization of a new biosynthetic gene, MET2, from the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. The predicted product of PpMET2 is significantly similar to its Saccharomyces cerevisiae counterpart, ScMET2, which encodes homoserine-O-transacetylase. The ScMET2 was able to complement the P. pastoris met2 strain; however, the converse was not true. Expression vectors based on PpMET2 for the intracellular and secreted production of foreign proteins and corresponding auxotrophic strains were constructed and tested for use in heterologous expression. The expression vectors and corresponding strains provide greater flexibility when using P. pastoris for recombinant protein expression.     

An improved method for Beauveria bassiana transformation using phosphinothricin acetlytransferase and green fluorescent protein fusion gene as a selectable and visible marker

An improved transformation method for the biocontrol agent, Beauveria bassiana, was developed. For convenience of transformation selection and detection, the coding regions of the genes for phosphinothricin acetyltransferase and green fluorescent protein were fused and an expression vector, pBFT, carrying this fusion was constructed. Under optimum conditions, over 60 transformants microg(-1) plasmid DNA were obtained. B. bassiana conidia frozen 1 month at -80 degrees C were fully competent for transformation. The method was significantly less laborious and more rapid than current methods for B. bassiana. The bar::egfp provides a selectable and visible marker which may expedite future genetic engineering of this fungus.     

Use of bar as a selectable marker gene and for the production of herbicide-resistant rice plants from protoplasts

We have used the bar gene in combination with the herbicide Basta to select transformed rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Radon) protoplasts for the production of herbicide-resistant rice plants. Protoplasts, obtained from regenerable suspension cultures established from immature embryo callus, were transformed using PEG-mediated DNA uptake. Transformed calli could be selected 2–4 weeks after placing the protoplast-derived calli on medium containing the selective agent, phosphinothricin (PPT), the active component of Basta. Calli resistant to PPT were capable of regenerating plants. Phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) assays confirmed the expression of the bar gene in plants obtained from PPT-resistant calli. The only exceptions were two plants obtained from the same callus that had multiple copies of the bar gene integrated into their genomes. The transgenic status of the plants was varified by Southern blot analysis. In our system, where the transformation was done via the protoplast method, there were very few escapes. The efficiency of co-transformation with a reporter gene gusA, was 30%. The T_o plants of Radon were self-fertile. Both the bar and gusA genes were transmitted to progeny as confirmed by Southern analysis. Both genes were expressed in T₁ and T₂ progenies. Enzyme analyses on T₁ progeny plants also showed a gene dose response reflecting their homozygous and heterozygous status. The leaves of T_o plants and that of the progeny having the bar gene were resistant to application of Basta. Thus, the bar gene has proven to be a useful selectable and screenable marker for the transformation of rice plants and for the production of herbicide-resistant plants.     

Streptothricin resistance as a novel selectable marker for transgenic plant cells

 Streptothricins are known as antimicrobial agents produced by Streptomyces spp. Bacterial resistance to streptothricin is mediated by specific enzymes exhibiting an acetyltransferase activity which renders the drug non-toxic for bacteria. The nucleotide sequence of several streptothricin resistance genes from bacteria have been described. Certain cells of eukaryotic parasites (such as Ustilago maydis or Leishmania spp.) are sensitive to streptothricin and the introduction of the bacterial resistance gene sat2 renders them resistant. We show that numerous species of plants are sensitive to low concentrations of streptothricin. Moreover, introduction of the bacterial resistance gene sat3 under the control of the 35S cauliflower mosaic virus promoter protects these cells from the toxic action of streptothricin. Therefore, sat3-mediated streptothricin resistance appears to be a promising selective marker for genetic manipulation of plant cells. Received: 6 November 1996 / Revision received: 9 January 1997 / Accepted: 22 March 1999     

The maize Knotted1 gene is an effective positive selectable marker gene for Agrobacterium-mediated tobacco transformation

We have assessed the use of a homeobox gene knotted1 (kn1) from maize as a selectable marker gene for plant transformation. The kn1 gene under the control of cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (35S::kn1) was introduced into Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Under nonselective conditions (without antibiotic selection) on a hormone-free medium (MS), a large number of transgenic calli and shoots were obtained from explants that were infected with Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404 harboring the 35S::kn1 gene. On the other hand, no calli or shoots were produced from explants that were infected with an Agrobacterium strain harboring pBI121 (nptII selection) or from uninfected controls cultured under identical conditions. Relative to kanamycin selection conferred by nptII, the use of kn1 resulted in a 3-fold increase in transformation efficiency. The transgenic status of shoots obtained was confirmed by both histochemical detection of GUS activity and molecular analysis. The results presented here suggest that kn1 gene could be used as an effective alternative selection marker with a potential to enhance plant transformation efficiency in many plant species. With kn1 gene as a selection marker gene, no antibiotic-resistance or herbicide-resistance genes are needed so that potential risks associated with the use of these traditional selection marker genes can be eliminated.     

The argininosuccinate lyase gene of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: cloning of the cDNA and its characterization as a selectable shuttle marker

We describe the cDNA sequence for ARG7, the gene that encodes argininosuccinate lyase – a selectable nuclear marker – in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The 5′ end of the cDNA contains one more exon and the organisation of the mRNA is different from that predicted from the genomic sequence. When expressed under the control of the endogenous RbcS2 promoter, the 2.22-kb cDNA complements the arg7 mutation as well as the genomic DNA. A linear cDNA fragment lacking promoter sequences is also able to complement, suggesting that it could be used in promoter-trapping experiments. Despite the presence of a sequence encoding a potential chloroplast transit peptide in the cDNA the protein is not targeted to the chloroplast, nor can it complement the arg7 mutation when expressed there. By inserting a T7 bacteriophage promoter into the plasmid, a version of the cDNA which is able to complement both the C. reinhardtii arg7 mutant and the Escherichia coli argH mutant has been created. This modified Arg7 cDNA provides two advantages over the genomic DNA currently in use for gene tagging: it is shorter (6.2 kb versus 11.9 kb for pARG7.8φ3), and the selectable marker used in C. reinhardtii is the same as that used in E. coli, making plasmid rescue of the tag much more likely to succeed. Received: 2 June 1998 / Accepted: 25 September 1998     

The application of the mutated acetolactate synthase gene from rice as the selectable marker gene in the production of transgenic soybeans

We investigated selective culturing conditions for the production of transgenic soybeans. In this culturing system, we used the acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicide-resistance gene derived from rice (Os-mALS gene) as a selectable marker gene instead of that derived from bacteria, which interfered with the cultivation and practical usage of transgenic crops. T₁ soybeans grown from one regenerated plant after selection of the ALS-targeting pyrimidinyl carboxy (PC) herbicide bispyribac-sodium (BS) exhibited herbicide resistance, and the introduction and expression of the Os-mALS gene were confirmed by genetic analysis. The selective culturing system promoted by BS herbicide, in which the Os-mALS gene was used as a selectable marker, was proved to be applicable to the production of transgenic soybeans, despite the appearance of escaped soybean plants that did not contain the Os-mALS transgene.     

Biolistic transformation of tobacco and maize suspension cells using bacterial cells as microprojectiles

Summary We have used both Escherichia coli cells and Agrobacterium tumefaciens cells as microprojectiles to deliver DNA into suspension-cultured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. line NT1) cells using a helium powered biolistic device. In addition, E. coli cells were used as microprojectiles for the transformation of suspension-cultured maize (Zea mays cv. Black Mexican Sweet) cells. Pretreating the bacterial cells with phenol at a concentration of 1.0%, and combining the bacterial cells with tungsten particles increased the rates of transformation. In N. tabacum, we obtained hundreds of transient transformants per bombardment, but were unable to recover any stable transformants. In Z. mays we obtained thousands of transient transformants and an average of six stable transformants per bombardment. This difference is discussed.Abbreviations BMS Black Mexican Sweet - RPM revolutions per minute - uidA -glucuronidase gene - GUS -glucuronidase protein - LB Luria-Bertani broth - OD600 optical density at 600 nm - psi pounds per square inch - Ap^r ampicillin resistance - Kn^r kanamycinresistance     

基因枪转化的bar基因表达盒在水稻中遗传行为复杂

基因枪介导基因表达盒(仅包括启动子、编码区和终止子)转化是基因枪转化植物的新趋势,它能消除质粒载体主干序列对转基因植物的不利影响。本文研究了基因枪转化的bar基因表达盒在转基因水稻T1～T3世代中的遗传行为。结果发现:作为筛选标记的bar基因表达盒在水稻基因组中多拷贝整合,遗传分离行为复杂,还出现了Basta抗感分离比在35:1～144:1之间的"假纯合体",但50%转基因株系中(5/10)bar基因可作为一个显性基因按孟德尔方式稳定遗传至自交T2代。虽然bar基因为多拷贝整合,30%的转基因株系(3/10)在自交低世代(T1)能获得纯合体。Southern杂交分析发现,多拷贝的bar基因表达盒倾向于连接成转基因串联子整合在水稻基因组内。我们发现在Basta抗性正常分离的株系后代中bar基因表达盒Southern杂交模式能稳定遗传,但异常分离的株系后代中bar基因表达盒的一些拷贝发生了丢失。我们推测,bar基因表达盒在水稻中遗传分离行为的复杂原因可能是bar基因表达盒多拷贝整合、基因丢失和基因表达互作。