The Mutational Consequences of Plant Transformation

[摘要] Plant transformation is a genetic engineering tool for introducingtransgenes into plant genomes. It is now being used for thebreeding of commercial crops. A central feature of transformationis insertion of the transgene into plant chromosomal DNA.Transgene insertion is infrequently, if ever, a precise event.Mutations found at transgene insertion sites include deletions andrearrangements of host chromosomal DNA and introduction ofsuperfluous DNA. Insertion sites introduced usingAgrobacterium tumefacienstend to have simpler structuresbut can be associated with extensive chromosomal rearrangements,while those of particle bombardment appear invariably to beassociated with deletion and extensive scrambling of inserted andchromosomal DNA. Ancillary procedures associated with planttransformation, including tissue culture and infection withA tumefaciens, can also introduce mutations. Thesegenome-wide mutations can number from hundreds to many thousandsper diploid genome. Despite the fact that confidence in the safetyand dependability of crop species rests significantly on theirgenetic integrity, the frequency of transformation-inducedmutations and their importance as potential biosafety hazards arepoorly understood.

[学科分类] 基础医学