Osmotic shock improves Tnt1 transposition frequency in Medicago truncatula cv Jemalong during in vitro regeneration

Plant Cell Rep. 2009 Oct;28(10):1563-72. doi: 10.1007/s00299-009-0755-6. Epub 2009 Aug 18.

Abstract

Insertion mutant collections are powerful tools for genetic studies in plants. Although large-scale insertional mutagenesis using T-DNA is not feasible in legumes, the Tnt1 tobacco retrotransposon can be used as a very efficient mutagen in the Medicago truncatula R108 genotype. In this article, we show that Tnt1 can also be exploited to create insertional mutants via transformation and/or regeneration in the reference cultivar Jemalong. Tnt1 insertional mutagenesis in Jemalong following Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation was found to be very efficient, with an average of greater than 15 insertions/line. In contrast, regeneration using low-copy transgenic starter lines resulted in a highly variable rate of new Tnt1 insertions. With the goal of increasing the number of additional Tnt1 insertions during regeneration of starter lines, we have compared the insertion frequencies for a number of different regeneration protocols. In addition, we have been able to show that sucrose-mediated osmotic shock preceding regeneration significantly increases the transposition frequency. Under optimal conditions, 95% of the regenerated Jemalong plants possess new insertions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Agrobacterium tumefaciens / genetics
  • Culture Media
  • DNA, Plant / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Medicago truncatula / genetics*
  • Medicago truncatula / metabolism
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional / methods*
  • Osmotic Pressure*
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / metabolism
  • Regeneration
  • Retroelements*
  • Sucrose / pharmacology
  • Transformation, Genetic

Substances

  • Culture Media
  • DNA, Plant
  • Retroelements
  • Sucrose