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Transgene-dependent incompatibility induced by introduction of the SK2:ZPT2-10 chimeric gene in petunia

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Abstract

In an attempt to functionally characterize a petunia zinc-finger gene ZPT2-10, which is specifically expressed in style transmitting tissue, we fused its cDNA downstream of the potato SK2 promoter (SK2:ZPT2-10) and then introduced it into Petunia hybrida. We found that some transformants had acquired altered traits in compatibility in mating; these were termed ‘transgene-dependent incompatibility (TDI)’. These transgenic lines were fertile when self-pollinated or crossed with other TDI lines. In contrast, they failed to mate when crossed with untransformed wild-type petunia or non-TDI lines of SK2:ZPT2-10 transformants. The TDI phenomenon was observed irrespective of whether the TDI lines were used as the pollen or pistillar parent. The TDI phenotype cosegregated with the SK2:ZPT2-10 transgene in the T1 generation and loss of this transgene resulted in the recovery of normal fertility. In the case of infertile pollination with the TDI line as one parent, pollen tubes grew normally through pistillar tissues, where endogenous ZPT2-10 is expressed, and eventually reached the ovules. However, the resultant embryos were arrested at the globular-heart stage. We found no correlation between the occurrence of the TDI phenotype and the expression of ZPT2-10 transcripts. On the basis of these observations, we discuss the possible molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomena and its utility.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Dr. Richard Thompson (Max Planck Institute) for providing the pSK2/1 plasmid. This work was supported in part by a PROBRAIN grant from the Bio-Oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution (BRAIN) of Japan and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

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  1. Kenichi Kubo

    Present address: Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0101, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Plant Sciences, Plant Disease Resistance Research Unit, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, 2-1-2 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8602, Japan

    Kenichi Kubo & Hiroshi Takatsuji

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  1. Kenichi Kubo
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  2. Hiroshi Takatsuji
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Correspondence to Hiroshi Takatsuji.

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Kubo, K., Takatsuji, H. Transgene-dependent incompatibility induced by introduction of the SK2:ZPT2-10 chimeric gene in petunia. Transgenic Res 16, 85–97 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-006-9034-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-006-9034-2

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