The DNA sequences of T-DNA junctions suggest that complex T-DNA loci are formed by a recombination process resembling T-DNA integration

Frequency and character of alternative somatic recombination fates of paralogous genes during T-DNA integration

A synthetic RBCSB gene cluster was transformed into Arabidopsis in order to simultaneously evaluate the frequency and character of somatic illegitimate recombination, homologous recombination, and targeted gene replacement events associated with T-DNA-mediated transformation. The most frequent type of recombination event observed was illegitimate integration of the T-DNA without activation of the silent DeltaRBCS1B: LUC transgene. Sixteen luc(+) (firefly luciferase positive) T1 plants were isolated. Six of these were due to illegitimate recombination events resulting in a gene trapping effect. Nine resulted from homologous recombination between paralogous RBCSB sequences associated with T-DNA integration. The frequency of somatic homologous recombination associated with T-DNA integration was almost 200 times higher than previously reported rates of meiotic homologous recombination with the same genes. The distribution of (somatic homologous) recombination resolution sites generally fits a fractional interval length model. However, a small region adjacent to an indel showed a significant over-representation of resolution sites, suggesting that DNA mismatch recognition may also play an important role in the positioning of somatic resolution sites. The frequency of somatic resolution within exon-2 was significantly different from that previously observed during meiotic recombination.

Post-transcriptional gene silencing induced by short interfering RNAs in cultured transgenic plant cells

Short interfering RNA (siRNA) is widely used for studying post-transcriptional gene silencing and holds great promise as a tool for both identifying function of novel genes and validating drug targets. Two siRNA fragments (siRNA-a and -b), which were designed against different specific areas of coding region of the same target green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene, were used to silence GFP expression in cultured gfp transgenic cells of rice (Oryza sativa L.; OS), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.; GH), Fraser fir [Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir; AF], and Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana Mill.; PV). Differential gene silencing was observed in the bombarded transgenic cells between two siRNAs, and these results were consistent with the inactivation of GFP confirmed by laser scanning microscopy, Northern blot, and siRNA analysis in tested transgenic cell cultures. These data suggest that siRNA-mediated gene inactivation can be the siRNA specific in different plant species. These results indicate that siRNA is a highly specific tool for targeted gene knockdown and for establishing siRNA-mediated gene silencing, which could be a reliable approach for large-scale screening of gene function and drug target validation.

Rearrangements of large-insert T-DNAs in transgenic rice

Introduction of large-DNA fragments into cereals by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is a useful technique for map-based cloning and molecular breeding. However, little is known about the organization and stability of large fragments of foreign DNA introduced into plant genomes. In this study, we produced transgenic rice plants by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation with a large-insert T-DNA containing a 92-kb region of the wheat genome. The structures of the T-DNA in four independent transgenic lines were visualized by fluorescence in situ hybridization on extended DNA fibers (fiber FISH). By using this cytogenetic technique, we showed that rearrangements of the large-insert T-DNA, involving duplication, deletion and insertion, had occurred in all four lines. Deletion of long stretches of the large-insert DNA was also observed in Agrobacterium.

Identification of Arabidopsis thaliana transformants without selection reveals a high occurrence of silenced T-DNA integrations

Several recent investigations of T-DNA integration sites in Arabidopsis thaliana have reported 'cold spots' of integration, especially near centromeric regions. These observations have contributed to the ongoing debate over whether T-DNA integration is random or occurs preferentially in transcriptionally active regions. When transgenic plants are identified by selecting or screening for transgenic activity, transformants with integrations into genomic regions that suppress transcription, such as heterochromatin, may not be identified. This phenomenon, which we call selection bias, may explain the perceived non-random distribution of T-DNA integration in previous studies. In order to investigate this possibility, we have characterized the sites of T-DNA integration in the genomes of transgenic plants identified by pooled polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a procedure that does not require expression of the transgene, and is therefore free of selection bias. Over 100 transgenic Arabidopsis plants were identified by PCR and compared with kanamycin-selected transformants from the same T(1) seed pool. A higher perceived transformation efficiency and a higher frequency of transgene silencing were observed in the PCR-identified lines. Together, the data suggest approximately 30% of transformation events may result in non-expressing transgenes that would preclude identification by selection. Genomic integration sites in PCR-identified lines were compared with those in existing T-DNA integration databases. In PCR-identified lines with silenced transgenes, the integration sites mapped to regions significantly underrepresented by T-DNA integrations in studies where transformants were identified by selection. The data presented here suggest that selection bias can account for at least some of the observed non-random integration of T-DNA into the Arabidopsis genome.

A bidirectional gene trap construct suitable for T-DNA and Ds-mediated insertional mutagenesis in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

A construct suitable for genome-wide transfer-DNA (T-DNA) and subsequent transposon-based (Ds) gene trapping has been developed for use in rice (Oryza sativa). This T-DNA/Ds construct contains: Ds terminal sequences immediately inside T-DNA borders for subsequent Ds mobilization; promoterless green fluorescent protein (sgfpS65T) and beta-glucuronidase (uidA) reporter genes, each fused to an intron (from Arabidopsis GPA1 gene) to enable bidirectional gene trapping by T-DNA or Ds; an ampicillin resistance gene (bla) and a bacterial origin of replication (ori) to serve as the plasmid rescue system; an intron-containing hygromycin phosphotransferase gene (hph) as a selectable marker or Ds tracer; and an intron-containing barnase gene in the binary vector backbone (VB) to select against transformants carrying unwanted VB sequences. More than a threefold increase over previously reported reporter gene-based gene trapping efficiencies was observed in primary T-DNA/Ds transformant rice lines, returning an overall reporter gene expression frequency of 23%. Of the plant organs tested, 3.3-7.4% expressed either reporter at varying degrees of organ or tissue specificity. Approximately 70% of the right border (RB) flanking sequence tags (FSTs) retained 1-6 bp of the RB repeat and 30% of the left border (LB) FSTs retained 5-23 bp of the LB repeat. The remaining FSTs carried deletions of 2-84 bp inside the RB or 1-97 bp inside the LB. Transposition of Ds from the original T-DNA was evident in T-DNA/Ds callus lines super-transformed with a transposase gene (Ac) construct, as indicated by gene trap reporter activity and rescue of new FSTs in the resulting double transformant lines.

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Aspergillus awamori in the absence of full-length VirD2, VirC2, or VirE2 leads to insertion of aberrant T-DNA structures

Reductions to 2, 5, and 42% of the wild-type transformation efficiency were found when Agrobacterium mutants carrying transposon insertions in virD2, virC2, and virE2, respectively, were used to transform Aspergillus awamori. The structures of the T-DNAs integrated into the host genome by these mutants were analyzed by Southern and sequence analyses. The T-DNAs of transformants obtained with the virE2 mutant had left-border truncations, whereas those obtained with the virD2 mutant had truncated right ends. From this analysis, it was concluded that the virulence proteins VirD2 and VirE2 are required for full-length T-DNA integration and that these proteins play a role in protecting the right and left T-DNA borders, respectively. Multicopy and truncated T-DNA structures were detected in the majority of the transformants obtained with the virC2 mutant, indicating that VirC2 plays a role in correct T-DNA processing and is required for single-copy T-DNA integration.

A reciprocal translocation, induced by a canonical integration of a single T-DNA, interrupts the HMG-I/Y Arabidopsis thaliana gene

Major chromosomal rearrangements occur during Arabidopsis thaliana T-DNA transformation. They generally result from interactions between multiple T-DNA copies during the integration process or from aborted integration events. We report here a reciprocal translocation associated with the integration of a single T-DNA which otherwise shows all the characteristic features of a canonical integration event. The exchanged fragments roughly correspond to half of the left arm of chromosome 1 and to two thirds of the right arm of chromosome 2. The chromosome 1 breakpoint maps close to position 23.6 cM and interrupts the coding sequence of the HMG-I/Y gene, which is present at a single copy in the Arabidopsis genome and encodes a non-histone chromosomal protein putatively involved in regulation of gene expression. The chromosome 2 breakpoint maps close to position 33.6 cM, and is located 419 bp upstream of a gene encoding a putative homeodomain transcription factor. Homozygotes for the translocation display a severe phenotype with major developmental abnormalities and total sterility, while heterozygotes are fertile, most of them showing a wild-type phenotype. Among the six possible unbalanced genotypic classes, four are entirely lethal while only a few individuals from the two others survive. Analysis of relations between phenotypes and genotypes strongly suggests that the major phenotypic alterations observed do not result from inactivation of the HMG-I/Y gene.

Generation and flanking sequence analysis of a rice T-DNA tagged population

Insertional mutagenesis provides a rapid way to clone a mutated gene. Transfer DNA (T-DNA) of Agrobacterium tumefaciens has been proven to be a successful tool for gene discovery in Arabidopsis and rice ( Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica). Here, we report the generation of 5,200 independent T-DNA tagged rice lines. The T-DNA insertion pattern in the rice genome was investigated, and an initial database was constructed based on T-DNA flanking sequences amplified from randomly selected T-DNA tagged rice lines using Thermal Asymmetric Interlaced PCR (TAIL-PCR). Of 361 T-DNA flanking sequences, 92 showed long T-DNA integration (T-DNA together with non-T-DNA). Another 55 sequences showed complex integration of T-DNA into the rice genome. Besides direct integration, filler sequences and microhomology (one to several nucleotides of homology) were observed between the T-DNA right border and other portions of the vector pCAMBIA1301 in transgenic rice. Preferential insertion of T-DNA into protein-coding regions of the rice genome was detected. Insertion sites mapped onto rice chromosomes were scattered in the genome. Some phenotypic mutants were observed in the T1 generation of the T-DNA tagged plants. Our mutant population will be useful for studying T-DNA integration patterns and for analyzing gene function in rice.

T-DNA integration in Arabidopsis chromosomes. Presence and origin of filler DNA sequences

To investigate the relationship between T-DNA integration and double-stranded break (DSB) repair in Arabidopsis, we studied 67 T-DNA/plant DNA junctions and 13 T-DNA/T-DNA junctions derived from transgenic plants. Three different types of T-DNA-associated joining could be distinguished. A minority of T-DNA/plant DNA junctions were joined by a simple ligation-like mechanism, resulting in a junction without microhomology or filler DNA insertions. For about one-half of all analyzed junctions, joining of the two ends occurred without insertion of filler sequences. For these junctions, microhomology was strikingly combined with deletions of the T-DNA ends. For the remaining plant DNA/T-DNA junctions, up to 51-bp-long filler sequences were present between plant DNA and T-DNA contiguous sequences. These filler segments are built from several short sequence motifs, identical to sequence blocks that occur in the T-DNA ends and/or the plant DNA close to the integration site. Mutual microhomologies among the sequence motifs that constitute a filler segment were frequently observed. When T-DNA integration and DSB repair were compared, the most conspicuous difference was the frequency and the structural organization of the filler insertions. In Arabidopsis, no filler insertions were found at DSB repair junctions. In maize (Zea mays) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), DSB repair-associated filler was normally composed of simple, uninterrupted sequence blocks. Thus, although DSB repair and T-DNA integration are probably closely related, both mechanisms have some exclusive and specific characteristics.

Site-specific integration of Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-DNA via double-stranded intermediates

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation involves transfer of a single-stranded T-DNA molecule (T strand) into the host cell, followed by its integration into the plant genome. The molecular mechanism of T-DNA integration, the culmination point of the entire transformation process, remains largely obscure. Here, we studied the roles of double-stranded breaks (DSBs) and double-stranded T-DNA intermediates in the integration process. We produced transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants carrying an I-SceI endonuclease recognition site that, upon cleavage with I-SceI, generates DSB. Then, we retransformed these plants with two A. tumefaciens strains: one that allows transient expression of I-SceI to induce DSB and the other that carries a T-DNA with the I-SceI site and an integration selection marker. Integration of this latter T-DNA as full-length and I-SceI-digested molecules into the DSB site was analyzed in the resulting plants. Of 620 transgenic plants, 16 plants integrated T-DNA into DSB at their I-SceI sites; because DSB induces DNA repair, these results suggest that the invading T-DNA molecules target to the DNA repair sites for integration. Furthermore, of these 16 plants, seven plants incorporated T-DNA digested with I-SceI, which cleaves only double-stranded DNA. Thus, T-strand molecules can be converted into double-stranded intermediates before their integration into the DSB sites within the host cell genome.

Seed-expressed fluorescent proteins as versatile tools for easy (co)transformation and high-throughput functional genomics in Arabidopsis

We demonstrate that fluorescent proteins can be used as visual selection markers for the transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana by the floral dip method. Seed-specific expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) variants, as well as DsRed, permits the identification of mature transformed seeds in a large background of untransformed seeds by fluorescence microscopy. In planta visualization of transformed seeds in siliques shows that susceptibility to floral dip transformation is limited to a small, defined window in flower development. In the competent stage, the random transformation of up to 25% of the seeds within a single silique may occur. The use of fluorescent proteins with different spectral characteristics allows a rapid identification and genetic analysis of seeds that have received multiple genes-of-interest in co-transformation experiments. The data reveal that co-transformation does not occur at random, since the co-transformed genes are integrated at a single genetic locus in approximately 70% of the cases. This genetic linkage of the co-transformed genes greatly simplifies metabolic pathway engineering by reverse genetics in Arabidopsis. Additional advantages of using visual selection instead of antibiotic resistance include a rapid identification of the effect of the T-DNA insertion or the transgene on seed development and/or germination. This technology, of tagging and identifying transformed seeds by fluorescence provides a novel high-throughput screening system with many potential applications in plant biotechnology.

Plant genome modification by homologous recombination

The mechanisms and frequencies of various types of homologous recombination (HR) have been studied in plants for several years. However, the application of techniques involving HR for precise genome modification is still not routine. The low frequency of HR remains the major obstacle but recent progress in gene targeting in Arabidopsis and rice, as well as accumulating knowledge on the regulation of recombination levels, is an encouraging sign of the further development of HR-based approaches for genome engineering in plants.

Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation: the biology behind the "gene-jockeying" tool

Agrobacterium tumefaciens and related Agrobacterium species have been known as plant pathogens since the beginning of the 20th century. However, only in the past two decades has the ability of Agrobacterium to transfer DNA to plant cells been harnessed for the purposes of plant genetic engineering. Since the initial reports in the early 1980s using Agrobacterium to generate transgenic plants, scientists have attempted to improve this "natural genetic engineer" for biotechnology purposes. Some of these modifications have resulted in extending the host range of the bacterium to economically important crop species. However, in most instances, major improvements involved alterations in plant tissue culture transformation and regeneration conditions rather than manipulation of bacterial or host genes. Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation is a highly complex and evolved process involving genetic determinants of both the bacterium and the host plant cell. In this article, I review some of the basic biology concerned with Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation. Knowledge of fundamental biological principles embracing both the host and the pathogen have been and will continue to be key to extending the utility of Agrobacterium for genetic engineering purposes.

T-DNA recombination and replication in maize cells

T-DNA recombination and replication was analyzed in 'black mexican sweet' (BMS) cells transformed with T-DNAs containing the replication system from wheat dwarf virus (WDV). Upon recombination between the T-DNA ends, a promoterless marker gene (gusA) was activated. Activation of the recombination marker gene was delayed and increased exponentially over time, suggesting that recombination and amplification of the T-DNA occurred in maize cells. Mutant versions of the viral initiator gene (rep), known to be defective in the replication function, failed to generate recoverable recombinant T-DNA molecules. Circularization of T-DNA by the FLP/FRT site-specific recombination system and/or homologous recombination was not necessary to recover circular T-DNAs. However, replicating T-DNAs appeared to be suitable substrates for site-specific and homologous recombination. Among 33 T-DNA border junctions sequenced, only one pair of identical junction sites was found implying that the population of circular T-DNAs was highly heterogenous. Since no circular T-DNA molecules were detected in treatments without rep, it suggested that T-DNA recombination was linked to replication and might have been stimulated by this process. The border junctions observed in recombinant T-DNA molecules were indicative of illegitimate recombination and were similar to left-border recombination of T-DNA into the genome after Agro-mediated plant transformation. However, recombination between T-DNA molecules differed from T-DNA/genomic DNA junction sites in that few intact right borders were observed. The replicating T-DNA molecules did not enhance genomic random integration of T-DNA in the experimental configuration used for this study.

RNA target sequences promote spreading of RNA silencing

It is generally recognized that a silencing-inducing locus can efficiently reduce the expression of genes that give rise to transcripts partially homologous to those produced by the silencing-inducing locus (primary targets). Interestingly, the expression of genes that produce transcripts without homology to the silencing-inducing locus (secondary targets) can also be decreased dramatically via transitive RNA silencing. This phenomenon requires primary target RNAs that contain sequences homologous to secondary target RNAs. Sequences upstream from the region homologous to the silencing inducer in the primary target transcripts give rise to approximately 22-nucleotide small RNAs, coinciding with the region homologous to the secondary target. The presence of these small RNAs corresponds with reduced expression of the secondary target whose transcripts are not homologous to the silencing inducer. The data suggest that in transgenic plants, targets of RNA silencing are involved in the expansion of the pool of functional small interfering RNAs. Furthermore, methylation of target genes in sequences without homology to the initial silencing inducer indicates not only that RNA silencing can expand across target RNAs but also that methylation can spread along target genes.

Tobacco plants were transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogenes infection during their evolution

We discovered that the origin of cT-DNA in the genome of wild-type Nicotiana glauca is the T-DNA of the mikimopine-type Ri plasmid (pRi) harbored in Agrobacterium rhizogenes. The cT-DNA was inserted into the genomic DNA of N. glauca from the position corresponding to the right border of mikimopine-type pRi. The cT-DNA contained two mikimopine synthase gene (mis) homologs, NgmisL and NgmisR, both of which were transcribed at low level in all N. glauca organs. NgMisR protein expressed in Escherichia coli has preserved Mis activity, which converts l-histidine and alpha-ketoglutaric acid to mikimopine. The mis homolog was also found in the genome of three other Nicotiana species: N. tomentosa, N. tomentosiformis, and N. tabacum; however, the site of insertion differed from that in N. glauca, suggesting that A. rhizogenes harboring mikimopine-type pRi independently infected the ancestors of some Nicotiana plants. This is the first clear evidence of a host-parasite relationship during the early evolution of Nicotiana plants. We propose that a new phylogenetic approach using opine type cT-DNA is applicable for presuming divergence in the genus Nicotiana.

Complex transgene locus structures implicate multiple mechanisms for plant transgene rearrangement

To more fully characterize the internal structure of transgene loci and to gain further understanding of mechanisms of transgene locus formation, we sequenced more than 160 kb of complex transgene loci in two unrelated transgenic oat (Avena sativa L.) lines transformed using microprojectile bombardment. The transgene locus sequences from both lines exhibited extreme scrambling of non-contiguous transgene and genomic fragments recombined via illegitimate recombination. A perfect direct repeat of the delivered DNA, and inverted and imperfect direct repeats were detected in the same transgene locus indicating that homologous recombination and synthesis-dependent mechanism(s), respectively, were also involved in transgene locus rearrangement. The most unexpected result was the small size of the fragments of delivered and genomic DNA incorporated into the transgene loci via illegitimate recombination; 50 of the 82 delivered DNA fragments were shorter than 200 bp. Eleven transgene and genomic fragments were shorter than the DNA lengths required for Ku-mediated non-homologous end joining. Detection of these small fragments provided evidence that illegitimate recombination was most likely mediated by a synthesis-dependent strand-annealing mechanism that resulted in transgene scrambling. Taken together, these results indicate that transgene locus formation involves the concerted action of several DNA break-repair mechanisms.

Analyses of single-copy Arabidopsis T-DNA-transformed lines show that the presence of vector backbone sequences, short inverted repeats and DNA methylation is not sufficient or necessary for the induction of transgene silencing

In genetically transformed plants, transgene silencing has been correlated with multiple and complex insertions of foreign DNA, e.g. T-DNA and vector backbone sequences. Occasionally, single-copy transgenes also suffer transgene silencing. We have compared integration patterns and T-DNA/plant DNA junctions in a collection of 37 single-copy T-DNA-transformed Arabidopsis lines, of which 13 displayed silencing. Vector sequences were found integrated in five lines, but only one of these displayed silencing. Truncated T-DNA copies, positioned in inverse orientation to an intact T-DNA copy, were discovered in three lines. The whole nptII gene with pnos promoter was present in the truncated copy of one such line in which heavy silencing has been observed. In the two other lines no silencing has been observed over five generations. Thus, vector sequences and short additional T-DNA sequences are not sufficient or necessary to induce transgene silencing. DNA methylation of selected restriction endonuclease sites could not be correlated with silencing. Our collection of T-DNA/plant DNA junctions has also been used to evaluate current models of T-DNA integration. Data for some of our lines are compatible with T-DNA integration in double-strand breaks, while for others initial invasion of plant DNA by the left or by the right T-DNA end seem important.

Transgene integration in aspen: structures of integration sites and mechanism of T-DNA integration

To obtain insight into the mechanism of transferred DNA (T-DNA) integration in a long-lived tree system, we analysed 30 transgenic aspen lines. In total, 27 right T-DNA/plant junctions, 20 left T-DNA/plant junctions, and 10 target insertions from control plants were obtained. At the right end, the T-DNA was conserved up to the cleavage site in 18 transgenic lines (67%), and the right border repeat was deleted in nine junctions. Nucleotides from the left border repeat were present in 19 transgenic lines out of 20 cases analysed. However, only four (20%) of the left border ends were conserved to the processing end, indicating that the T-DNA left and right ends are treated mechanistically differently during the T-DNA integration process. Comparison of the genomic target sites prior to integration to the T-DNA revealed that the T-DNA inserted into the plant genome without any notable deletion of genomic sequence in three out of 10 transgenic lines analysed. However, deletions of DNA ranging in length from a few nucleotides to more than 500 bp were observed in other transgenic lines. Filler DNAs of up to 235 bp were observed on left and/or right junctions of six transgenic lines, which in most cases originated from the nearby host genomic sequence or from the T-DNA. Short sequence similarities between recombining strands near break points, in particular for the left T-DNA end, were observed in most of the lines analysed. These results confirm the well-accepted T-DNA integration model based on single-stranded annealing followed by ligation of the right border which is preserved by the VirD2 protein. However, a second category of T-DNA integration was also identified in nine transgenic lines, in which the right border of the T-DNA was partly truncated. Such integration events are described via a model for the repair of genomic double-strand breaks in somatic plant cells based on synthesis-dependent strand-annealing. This report in a long-lived tree system provides major insight into the mechanism of transgene integration.

The art and design of genetic screens: Arabidopsis thaliana

Molecular genetic studies rely on well-characterized organisms that can be easily manipulated. Arabidopsis thaliana--the model system of choice for plant biologists--allows efficient analysis of plant function, combining classical genetics with molecular biology. Although the complete sequence of the Arabidopsis genome allows the rapid discovery of the molecular basis of a characterized mutant, functional characterization of the Arabidopsis genome depends on well-designed forward genetic screens, which remain a powerful strategy to identify genes that are involved in many aspects of the plant life cycle.

T-DNA-associated duplication/translocations in Arabidopsis. Implications for mutant analysis and functional genomics

T-DNA insertion mutants have become a valuable resource for studies of gene function in Arabidopsis. In the course of both forward and reverse genetic projects, we have identified novel interchromosomal rearrangements in two Arabidopsis T-DNA insertion lines. Both rearrangements were unilateral translocations associated with the left borders of T-DNA inserts that exhibited normal Mendelian segregation. In one study, we characterized the embryo-defective88 mutation. Although emb88 had been mapped to chromosome I, molecular analysis of DNA adjacent to the T-DNA left border revealed sequence from chromosome V. Simple sequence length polymorphism mapping of the T-DNA insertion demonstrated that a >40-kbp region of chromosome V had inserted with the T-DNA into the emb88 locus on chromosome I. A similar scenario was observed with a prospective T-DNA knockout allele of the LIGHT-REGULATED RECEPTOR PROTEIN KINASE (LRRPK) gene. Whereas wild-type LRRPK is on lower chromosome IV, mapping of the T-DNA localized the disrupted LRRPK allele to chromosome V. In both these cases, the sequence of a single T-DNA-flanking region did not provide an accurate picture of DNA disruption because flanking sequences had duplicated and inserted, with the T-DNA, into other chromosomal locations. Our results indicate that T-DNA insertion lines--even those that exhibit straightforward genetic behavior--may contain an unexpectedly high frequency of rearrangements. Such duplication/translocations can interfere with reverse genetic analyses and provide misleading information about the molecular basis of mutant phenotypes. Simple mapping and polymerase chain reaction methods for detecting such rearrangements should be included as a standard step in T-DNA mutant analysis.

Molecular characterization of transgenic shallots (Allium cepa L.) by adaptor ligation PCR (AL-PCR) and sequencing of genomic DNA flanking T-DNA borders

Genomic DNA blot hybridization is traditionally used to demonstrate that, via genetic transformation, foreign genes are integrated into host genomes. However, in large genome species, such as Allium cepa L., the use of genomic DNA blot hybridization is pushed towards its limits, because a considerable quantity of DNA is needed to obtain enough genome copies for a clear hybridization pattern. Furthermore, genomic DNA blot hybridization is a time-consuming method. Adaptor ligation PCR (AL-PCR) of genomic DNA flanking T-DNA borders does not have these drawbacks and seems to be an adequate alternative to genomic DNA blot hybridization. Using AL-PCR we proved that T-DNA was integrated into the A. cepa genome of three transgenic lines transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA 105 (pCAMBIA 1301). The AL-PCR patterns obtained were specific and reproducible for a given transgenic line. The results showed that T-DNA integration took place and gave insight in the number of T-DNA copies present. Comparison of AL-PCR and previously obtained genomic DNA blot hybridization results pointed towards complex T-DNA integration patterns in some of the transgenic plants. After cloning and sequencing the AL-PCR products, the junctions between plant genomic DNA and the T-DNA insert could be analysed in great detail. For example it was shown that upon T-DNA integration a 66 bp genomic sequence was deleted, and no filler DNA was inserted. Primers located within the left and right flanking genomic DNA in transgenic shallot plants were used to recover the target site of T-DNA integration.

Controlling transgene integration in plants

The creation of transgenic plants has brought significant advances to light in plant biotechnology. However, in spite of the fact that transgenic plants are beginning to be grown widely, controlled transgene integration into a pre-determined site remains to be achieved. Here we suggest two alternative approaches for gene targeting in plants: manipulating the host and donor sequence, and targeting during active homologous recombination stages.

Determination of the T-DNA transfer and the T-DNA integration frequencies upon cocultivation of Arabidopsis thaliana root explants

Using the Cre/lox recombination system, we analyzed the extent to which T-DNA transfer to the plant cell and T-DNA integration into the plant genome determine the transformation and cotransformation frequencies of Arabidopsis root cells. Without selection for transformation competence, the stable transformation frequency of shoots obtained after cocultivation and regeneration on nonselective medium is below 0.5%. T-DNA transfer and expression occur in 5% of the shoots, indicating that the T-DNA integrates in less than 10% of the transiently expressing plant cells. A limited fraction of root cells, predominantly located at the wounded sites and in the pericycle, are competent for interaction with agrobacteria and the uptake of a T-DNA, as demonstrated by histochemical GUS staining. When selection for transformation competence is applied, the picture is completely different. Then, approximately 50% of the transformants show transient expression of a second, nonselected T-DNA and almost 50% of these cotransferred T-DNAs are integrated into the plant genome. Our results indicate that both T-DNA transfer and T-DNA integration limit the transformation and cotransformation frequencies and that plant cell competence for transformation is based on these two factors.

Plants as bioreactors for protein production: avoiding the problem of transgene silencing

Plants are particularly attractive as large-scale production systems for proteins intended for therapeutical or industrial applications: they can be grown easily and inexpensively in large quantities that can be harvested and processed with the available agronomic infrastructures. The effective use of plants as bioreactors depends on the possibility of obtaining high protein accumulation levels that are stable during the life cycle of the transgenic plant and in subsequent generations. Silencing of the introduced transgenes has frequently been observed in plants, constituting a major commercial risk and hampering the general economic exploitation of plants as protein factories. Until now, the most efficient strategy to avoid transgene silencing involves careful design of the transgene construct and thorough analysis of transformants at the molecular level. Here, we focus on different aspects of the generation of transgenic plants intended for protein production and on their influence on the stability of heterologous gene expression.

Functional genomics in Arabidopsis: large-scale insertional mutagenesis complements the genome sequencing project

The ultimate goal of genome research on the model flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana is the identification of all of the genes and understanding their functions. A major step towards this goal, the genome sequencing project, is nearing completion; however, functional studies of newly discovered genes have not yet kept up to this pace. Recent progress in large-scale insertional mutagenesis opens new possibilities for functional genomics in Arabidopsis. The number of T-DNA and transposon insertion lines from different laboratories will soon represent insertions into most Arabidopsis genes. Vast resources of gene knockouts are becoming available that can be subjected to different types of reverse genetics screens to deduce the functions of the sequenced genes.