Inheritance of marker and target genes in seed and vegetative progenies of transgenic tobacco plants carrying the buckwheat serine protease inhibitor gene

The buckwheat serine protease inhibitor (BWI-1) target gene (ISP) was expressed under the control of the constitutive 35S promoter of the cauliflower mosaic virus was expressed in transgenic tobacco plants and conferred antibacterial resistance. A stable and linked inheritance and expression of the marker nptII and target genes were observed in a random sample of independent transgenic tobacco plants after longterm propagation by nodal segments or multiple (for 1.5 years) regenerations under nonselective conditions; the transgene insert was preserved in the T1 seed progeny. Transgenic plants displayed numerous alterations in microsporogenesis. A loss of kanamycin (Km) resistance was accompanied by a loss of antibacterial activity in two lines. Segregation was observed for Km resistance in line C7 and for seedling size in line C22.