Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research
  • Published:

Selectable Marker Genes Engineered for Specific Expression in Target Cells for Plant Transformation

Bio/Technology volume 11, pages 218–221 (1993)Cite this article

Abstract

A wound-induced promoter (AoPRl) isolated from Asparagus officinalis was shown by GUS reporter gene analysis to be active during callus formation in tissue cultured leaves from transgenic tobacco plants. Unlike other promoters commonly used to drive expression of marker genes during transformation (e.g. Nos, MAS-35S and CaMV35S), the AoPR1 promoter showed strong expression at wound sites during tobacco leaf disk transformation but was expressed at extremely low levels in the leaves, roots and seeds of the mature plant. A plant transformation vector was constructed in which nptII expression was placed under the control of the AoPR1 promoter. This construct was then used in transformation experiments which resulted in the production of a large number of transgenic tobacco and potato plants. In leaves, roots and tubers (in the case of potato) of these plants, the marker gene protein product (NPTII) was present in low amounts compared to the levels found in control transgenic plants produced using a CaMV35S-nptII gene as a selectable marker.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Vancanneyt, G., Schnlidt, R., O'Connor-Sanchez, A., Willmitzer, L. and Rocha-Sosa, M. 1990. Construction of an intron-containing marker gene: Splicing of the intron in transgenic plants and its use in monitoring early events in Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation. Mol. Gen. Genet. 220: 245–250.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Janssen, B.-J. and Gardner, R.C. 1989. Localized transient expression of GUS in leaf discs following cocultivation with Agrobacterium. Plant Mol. Biol. 14: 61–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Higgins, E.S., Hulme, S. and Shields, R. 1992. Early events in transformation of potato by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Plant Sci. 82: 109–118.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Potrykus, I. 1990. Gene transfer to cereals: an assessment. Bio/Technology 8: 535–542.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Flavell, R.B., Dart, E., Funchs, R.L. and Fraley, R.T. 1992. Selectable marker genes: safe for plants? Bio/Technology 10: 141–142.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bevan, M. 1984. Binary Agrobacterium vectors for plant transformation. Nucl. Acids Res. 12: 8711–8721.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Bowles, D.J. 1990. Defence-related proteins in higher plants. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 59: 873–907.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Dixon, R.A. and Harrison, M.J. 1990. Activation and organisation of genes involved in microbial defense in plants. Adv. Genet. 28: 165–234.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Warner, S.A.J., Scott, R. and Draper, J. 1992. Characterisation of a wound-induced transcript from the monocotyledon asparagus that shares homology with a new class of pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins. Plant Mol. Biol. 19: 555–561.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Warner, S.A.J., Scott, R. and Draper, J. 1992. Isolation of asparagus AoPRl wound-responsive promoter by the inverse polymerase chain reaction and its characterisation in transgenic tobacco. Plant Journal, In press.

  11. Walter, M.H., Jian-Wei, L., Grand, C., Lamb, C.J. and Hess, D. 1990. Bean pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins deduced from elicitor-induced transcripts are members of a ubiquitous new class of conserved PR proteins including pollen allergens. Mol. Gen. Genet. 222: 353–360.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Stermer, B.A., Schmid, J., Lamb, C.J. and Dixon, R.A. 1990. Infection and stress activation of bean chalcone synthasc promoters in transgenic tobacco. Mol. Plant Microh. Interact. 3: 381–388.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Dixon, R.A. and Lamb, C.J. 1990. Molecular communication in interactions between plants and microbial pathogens. Ann. Rev. Plant Phys. and Plant Mol. Biol. 41: 339–367.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. An, G., Costa, M.A. and Ha, S.H. 1990. Nopaline synthase promoter is wound inducible and auxin inducible. The Plant Cell 2: 225–233.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Langridge, W.H.R., Fitzgerald, K.J., Koncz, C., Schell, J. and Szalay, A.A. 1989. Dual promoter of Agrobacterium tumejaciens mannopine synthase genes is regulated by plant growth hormones. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86: 3219–3223.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Draper, J., Scott, R., Armitage, P. and Walden, R. 1988. Plant Genetic Transformation and Gene Expression. A Laboratory Manual. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, UK.

  17. Lipetz, J. 1966. Crown gall tumorigenesis II. Relations between wound healing and tumorigenic response. Cancer Research 26: 1597–1605.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Paul, E., Harikrishna, K., Fioroni, O. and Draper, J. 1989. Dedifferentiation of Asparagus officinalis L. mesophyll cells during initiation of cell cultures. Plant Sci. 65: 111–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Harikrishna, K., Paul, E., Darby, R. and Draper, J. 1991. Wound response in mechanically isolated asparagus mesophyll cells: A model monocotyledon system. J. Exp. Bot. 42: 791–799.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Harpster, M.H., Townsend, J.A., Jones, J.D.G., Bedbrook, J. and Dunsmuir, P. 1988. Relative strengths of the 35S cauliflower mosaic virus. 1′, 2′ and nopaline synthase promoters in transformed tobacco, sugarbeet and oil seed rape callus tissue. Mol. Gen. Genet. 212: 182–190.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Comai, L., Moran, P. and Maslyar, D. 1990. Novel and useful properties of a chimeric plant promoter combining CaMV 35S and MAS elements. PI. Mol. Biol. 15: 373–381.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Fromm, M., Taylor, L.P. and Walbot, V. 1985. Expression of genes transferred into monocot and dicot plant cells by electroporation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82: 5824–5828.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Deblaere, R., Bytebier, B., De Greve, H., Deboeck, K., Schell, J., Van Montagu, M. and Leemans, J. 1985. Efficient octopine Ti plasmid derived vectors for Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer. Nucl. Acids Res. 13: 4777–4788.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Wen-jun, S. and Forde, B.G. 1989. Efficient transformation of Agrobacterium spp. by high voltage electroporation. Nucl. Acids Res. 17: 83–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Jefferson, R.A. 1987. Assaying chimeric genes in plants: the GUS gene fusion system. Plant Mol. Biol. Rep. 5: 387–405.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Bradford, M.M. 1976. A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein dye binding. Anal. Biochem. 72: 248–254.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. McDonnell, R.E., Clark, R.D., Smith, W.A. and Hinchee, M.A. 1987. A simplified method for the detection of neomycin phosphotransferasc II activity in transformed plant tissues. Plant Mol. Biol. Rept. 5: 380–386.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. John Draper: Corresponding author.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK

    Sebahattin Özcan, Simon Firek & John Draper

Authors
  1. Sebahattin Özcan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Simon Firek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. John Draper
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Özcan, S., Firek, S. & Draper, J. Selectable Marker Genes Engineered for Specific Expression in Target Cells for Plant Transformation. Nat Biotechnol 11, 218–221 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0293-218

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0293-218

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing