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Plants rendered herbicide-susceptible by cauliflower mosaic virus–elicited suppression of a 35S promoter-regulated transgene

Nature Biotechnology volume 18, pages 995–999 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

Crop plants genetically modified for herbicide tolerance were some of the first to be released into the environment. Frequently, the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter is used to drive expression of the herbicide tolerance transgene. We analyzed the response to CaMV infection of a transgenic oilseed rape line containing the bialaphos tolerance gene (BAR) from Streptomyces hygroscopicus, regulated by the 35S promoter. Oilseed rape is susceptible to CaMV, but plants recover from infection. CaMV infection altered the expression of the herbicide tolerance gene such that plants became susceptible to the herbicide. The effect on transgene expression differed in infections with viral pathogenic variants typical of those found in natural situations worldwide. Susceptibility to the herbicide was most likely a result of transcriptional gene silencing of the transgene. Our results show that transgene phenotypes can be modified by pathogen invasion.

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Figure 1: Effect of CaMV infection on herbicide tolerance in transgenic oilseed rape plants.
Figure 2: Effect of CaMV infection on BAR transgene expression in oilseed rape.
Figure 3: Effect of CaMV infection on herbicide tolerance and transgene expression in leaves of flowering transgenic oilseed rape plants.
Figure 4: Effects of CaMV pathogenic variants on herbicide suppression.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Non Owen and Chris Jones for producing the transgenic lines and J. Jones for providing the transgene constructs. We also thank R. Hull, C. Jenner, and J. Walsh for CaMV variants, and Mike Hill for treating plants with the herbicide. We gratefully acknowledge funds provided by Food Standards Agency FSA (FS0230) and the BBSRC. The work was carried out under MAFF license PHL 11B/3013(3/1999).

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  1. John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, NR4 7UH, Norwich, UK

    Nadia S. Al-Kaff, Maria M. Kreike, Simon N. Covey, Robert Pitcher, Anthony M. Page & Philip J. Dale

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  1. Nadia S. Al-Kaff
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  2. Maria M. Kreike
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Correspondence to Nadia S. Al-Kaff.

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Al-Kaff, N., Kreike, M., Covey, S. et al. Plants rendered herbicide-susceptible by cauliflower mosaic virus–elicited suppression of a 35S promoter-regulated transgene. Nat Biotechnol 18, 995–999 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/79501

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