Acquiring transgenic tobacco plants with insect resistance and glyphosate tolerance by fusion gene transformation

Plant Cell Rep. 2012 Oct;31(10):1877-87. doi: 10.1007/s00299-012-1301-5. Epub 2012 Jul 10.

Abstract

The advantages of gene 'stacking' or 'pyramiding' are obvious in genetically modified (GM) crops, and several different multi-transgene-stacking methods are available. Using linker peptides for multiple gene transformation is considered to be a good method to meet a variety of needs. In our experiment, the Bt cry1Ah gene, which encodes the insect-resistance protein, and the mG ( 2 ) -epsps gene, which encodes the glyphosate-tolerance protein, were connected by a 2A or LP4/2A linker. Linker 2A is a peptide from the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) that has self-cleavage activity. LP4 is a peptide from Raphanus sativus seeds that has a recognition site and is cleaved by a protease. LP4/2A is a hybrid peptide that contains the first 9 amino acids of LP4 and 20 amino acids from 2A. We used the linker peptide to construct four coordinated expression vectors: pHAG, pHLAG, pGAH and pGLAH. Two single gene expression vectors, pSAh and pSmG(2), were used as controls. The six expression vectors and the pCAMBIA2301 vector were transferred into tobacco by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation, and 529 transformants were obtained. Molecular detection and bioassay detection data demonstrated that the transgenic tobaccos possessed good pest resistance and glyphosate tolerance. The two genes in the fusion vector were expressed simultaneously. The plants with the genes linked by the LP4/2A peptide showed better pest resistance and glyphosate tolerance than the plants with the genes linked by 2A. The expression level of the two genes linked by LP4/2A was not significantly different from the single gene vector. Key message The expression level of the two genes linked by LP4/2A was higher than those linked by 2A and was not significantly different from the single gene vector.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 3-Phosphoshikimate 1-Carboxyvinyltransferase / genetics
  • 3-Phosphoshikimate 1-Carboxyvinyltransferase / metabolism
  • Agrobacterium tumefaciens / genetics
  • Agrobacterium tumefaciens / metabolism
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Disease Resistance*
  • Drug Resistance*
  • Endotoxins / genetics
  • Endotoxins / metabolism
  • Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus / genetics
  • Gene Fusion*
  • Genetic Vectors
  • Glycine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Glycine / pharmacology
  • Glyphosate
  • Hemolysin Proteins / genetics
  • Hemolysin Proteins / metabolism
  • Herbicides / pharmacology
  • Lepidoptera / pathogenicity
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nicotiana / drug effects
  • Nicotiana / genetics*
  • Nicotiana / immunology
  • Plant Leaves
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / drug effects
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / immunology*
  • Raphanus / genetics
  • Raphanus / metabolism
  • Transformation, Genetic
  • Viral Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Endotoxins
  • Hemolysin Proteins
  • Herbicides
  • Viral Proteins
  • insecticidal crystal protein, Bacillus Thuringiensis
  • virus protein 2A
  • 3-Phosphoshikimate 1-Carboxyvinyltransferase
  • Glycine