Effects of the Over-Expression of the rolC Gene on Leaf Development in Transgenic Periclinal Chimeric Plants

Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring a vector that carriedthe rolC gene under the control of the 35S RNA promoter of cauliflowermosaic virus, we produced several transgenic plants. Two ofthem were periclinal chimeras with altered leaves that had wrinkleddark green margins and inner pale green regions. One chimericplant had shortened internodes, reduced apical dominance, smallflowers and exhibited male sterility, but the other had a normalphenotype. Analysis of proteins, RNA and DNA indicated thatthe inner pale green tissues consisted of transformed cellswhile the outer dark green tissues were composed of non-transformedcells. Histological analysis indicated that mesophyll cellswere distorted and larger intercellular spaces were presentin the transformed pale green regions. Furthermore, in youngleaves, transformed mesophyll cells were larger than non-transformedcells. However, the normal parts had larger numbers of cellsper unit area than the transformed parts. These observationssuggest that ths expression of 35S-rolC in leaves caused inhibitionof cell division in developing leaves and that the undulatingmargins, composed of non-transformed cells, were a consequenceof the requirement for accommodating more cells in less spacewithin the region of rolC-transformed cells. (Received January 29, 1993; Accepted May 17, 1993)