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High expression of transgene protein in Spirodela

  • Genetic Transformation and Hybridization
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Abstract

The monocot family Lemnaceae (duckweed) is composed of small, edible, aquatic plants. Spirodela oligorrhiza SP is a duckweed with a biomass doubling time of about 2 days under controlled, axenic conditions. Stably transformed Spirodela plants were obtained following co-cultivation of regenerative calli with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. GFP activity was successfully monitored in different subcellular compartments of the plant and correlated with different targeting sequences. Transgenic lines were followed for a period of at least 18 months and more than 180 vegetative doublings (generations). The lines are stable in morphology, growth rate, transgene expression, and activity as measured by DNA–DNA and immunoblot hybridizations, fluorescence activity measurements, and antibiotic resistance. The level of transgene expression is a function of leader sequences rather than transgene copy number. A stable, transgenic, GFP expression level >25% of total soluble protein is demonstrated for the S. oligorrhiza system, making it among the higher expressing systems for nuclear transformation in a higher plant.

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Abbreviations

2iP:

6-γ-γ-(dimethylallylamino)-purine

CPA:

4,Chlorophenoxyacetic acid

SP:

Spirodela growth medium

TDZ (Thidiazuron):

(1-Phenyl-3-(1,2,3,-thiadiazol-5-yl) urea

WP:

McCown woody plant medium

WT:

Wild type

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dina Heller for expert assistance. ME acknowledges partial support from the Charles & Tillie Lubin Center for Plant Biotechnology at the Weizmann Institute of Science.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

    Ron Vunsh, Jihong Li, Uri Hanania & Marvin Edelman

  2. Department of Fruit Tree Sciences, ARO Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel

    Moshe Flaishman & Avihai Perl

  3. LemnaGene SA, Lyon, France

    Jean-Pierre Wisniewski & Georges Freyssinet

Authors
  1. Ron Vunsh
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  2. Jihong Li
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  4. Marvin Edelman
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  7. Jean-Pierre Wisniewski
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  8. Georges Freyssinet
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marvin Edelman.

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Communicated by A. Atanassov.

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Vunsh, R., Li, J., Hanania, U. et al. High expression of transgene protein in Spirodela . Plant Cell Rep 26, 1511–1519 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-007-0361-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-007-0361-4

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