Development of Marker-Free Transgenic Cry1Ab Rice with Lepidopteran Pest Resistance by Agrobacterium Mixture-Mediated Co-transformation

Cry1Ab gene was transformed into four rice varieties, Zhejing 22, Zhejing 27, Jiahua 1 and Xiushui 63 mediated by Agrobacterium-mixture co-transformation. Rice genotype had an important effect on callus induction and transformation efficiency. Different mixtures of Agrobacterium strains (EHA105 and EHA101) contained Hpt and Cry1Ab genes resulted in different frequencies of resistant calli. There was no correlation between the frequency of transformants with the ratio of the Agrobacterium strain mixture contained Hpt and Cry1Ab genes. A total of 509 transgenic plants were obtained from the four rice varieties, and 272 T₂ progenies were analyzed for Cry1Ab and Hpt genes. PCR analysis revealed that 412 regenerated plants were Hpt positive (80.94%), 62 plants were also Cry1Ab co-transformants (15.05% in total frequency), and 42 plants among the 272 T₂ progenies were Cry1Ab positive but Hpt negative. This suggests that marker-free transgenic plants could be produced by co-transformation mediated by mixed Agrobacterium strains with the selectable marker gene and target gene. Southern blot analysis of five independent marker-free T₂ transgenic lines co-transformed from Zhejing 22 showed that Cry1Ab gene had been inserted into rice genome with a single copy. The transgenic plants showed significantly stronger resistance to lepidopteron than the non-transgenic plants under no application of insecticides against lepidopteron.     

In vitro direct plant regeneration and Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.)

In vitro direct plant regeneration of lucerne was achieved by simultaneous application of thidiazuron (TDZ) and 6‐benzyladenine (BA) in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Seedlings were germinated and grown for 6 d on growth regulator–containing MS medium. The shoot tip, consisting of the apical meristem along with parts of the cotyledonary leaves and hypocotyl, was then cultured on a medium containing the growth regulator(s). Adventitious budding of the shoot tip was promoted synergistically by treatment with TDZ and BA, and a maximum of thirty‐five shoots per explant was obtained on a medium supplemented with 2 mg L^?1 TDZ and 1 mg L^?1 BA. Plant regeneration frequency varied from 67 to 93%, and five Indian lucerne cultivars responded well to the regeneration protocol. The Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation frequency from co‐cultivated explants was 13% following multiple shoot induction. Southern analysis of the T₀ plants and T₁ progenies confirmed stable inheritance of the hpt marker gene. Agrobacterium infection of the explant caused a significant reduction in the plant regeneration frequency (23%) and the number of shoots induced (11) when compared with uninfected explants. A single shoot tip provided sufficient material to regenerate and establish twenty‐seven lucerne plants, whereas only nine plants could be regenerated from an Agrobacterium co‐cultivated explant. This transformation protocol could represent a valuable improvement over existing ones for lucerne.     

Factors Affecting Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation Efficiency in Rice

Several important factors affecting the efficiency of Agrobacterium-mediated rice transformation were studied with several predominant commercial indica and japonica rice cultivars. As far as indica rice callus was concerned, CC medium was the best and the quality of callus was improved with the addition of 1.0 to 2.0 mg/L ABA. It decreased the percentage of browning calli and improved the callus growing state by addition of a certain amount of sorbitol to the subculture medium. NB medium was the best for callus initiation of japonica rice, but the improvement in the quality of callus of japonica subspecies was not obvious by adding ABA. During the period of subculture, to a certain degree, increasing the sucrose concentration could improve the proportion of hygromycin resistant calli. Furthermore, the transformation efficiency would be higher by applying selection pressure in the selection stage, removing selection pressure during the plantlet differentiation period and applying selection pressure again during seedling hardening period. Besides, suitable combination of plant hormones was beneficial for callus differentiation. An efficient Agrobacterium-mediated rice transformation system had been established for several rice cultivars and a lot of transgenic rice plants had been obtained.     

应用Cre/loxP系统在转化细胞水平上高效删除转基因水稻的标记基因

 研究了Cre/loxP系统在转化细胞水平上删除转基因水稻中抗性标记基因的可行性和效率。采用农杆菌介导法将Cre/loxP标记基因剪切系统载体pNCG导入水稻细胞,用G418筛选法获得水稻抗性愈伤组织后,在组织培养不同阶段的培养基中添加25 μmol/L雌激素进行Cre基因的诱导表达和标记基因的剪切,PCR检测T0植株中标记基因nptⅡ、重组酶基因Cre和目标基因gusA的整合情况。将扩增结果为gusA（+）/nptⅡ（-）/Cre（-）的转基因植株统计为标记基因剪切成功的植株。结果表明,在抗性愈伤组织培养的预分化前、预分化和分化阶段添加雌激素诱导表达重组酶Cre均能成功切除标记基因序列,标记基因剪切成功率为6.82%~46.43%。在预分化前采用液体培养基添加雌激素诱导处理愈伤组织3 d,T0植株中标记基因的剪切效率高达173.33%,主要原因是雌激素处理提高了愈伤组织绿苗分化率。直接在分化培养基中添加雌激素诱导处理,T0植株中标记基因剪切成功率达46.43%,剪切效率（144.44%）也较高。表明雌激素诱导的Cre/loxP系统能在水稻抗性愈伤组织水平上实现对标记基因序列高效快速删除。     

基因枪法转化籼稻有关因素的评价

 利用基因枪轰击水稻未成熟胚及未成熟胚诱导来源的愈伤组织,对国内外16个籼稻品种进行了转化。设置不同的基因枪转化参数,并在培养基中添加各种植物激素、甘露醇以及2-N-吗啉-乙基磺酸(简称MES)来改善继代过程中籼稻愈伤组织的生长状态。基因枪转化的操作参数（包括金粉浓度和DNA含量、基因枪氦气压力、轰击受体的不同状态）对转化频率有重要影响;在继代培养基中添加MES（500 mg/L）作为缓冲剂,可以减少籼稻愈伤组织褐化现象的发生;在诱导和继代培养基中补加NAA(0.5 mg/L）,KT(0.2 mg/L)可改进愈伤组织质量,进而提高再生频率;在继代培养基中补加低浓度的 ABA(1 mg/L)和甘露醇（20 g/L）,能普遍改善愈伤组织生长状况,减少褐化现象的产生,得到较多结构致密的颗粒状抗性愈伤。获得了再生的转化植株,经检测表现出对Basta的抗性。     

提高农杆菌介导转化水稻效率的因素

 以3个籼稻品种和2个粳稻品种为对象，对农杆菌转化水稻过程中影响转化效率的因素进行了研究。结果表明，菌株AGL1和EHA105按一定比例混合共转化和转化前菌体重悬对抗性愈伤率有显著影响；琼脂粉加倍和超净工作台上风干4 h的方法因能明显提高抗性愈伤率和分化率而被认为是最适合的干燥培养方式；分化培养基中加入二甲基亚砜（DMSO）或脯氨酸（Pro）可以提高分化率；壮苗时加入适量的NAA有利于壮根并提高移栽成活率。应用此农杆菌转化系统，获得了一批经PCR和点杂交鉴定的转基因植株。     

Factors Affecting Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation Efficiency in Rice

Several important factors affecting the efficiency of Agrobacterium-mediated rice transformation were studied with several predominant commercial indica and japonica rice cultivars. As far as indica rice callus was concerned, CC medium was the best and the quality of callus was improved with the addition of 1.0 to 2.0 mg/L ABA. It decreased the percentage of browning calli and improved the callus growing state by addition of a certain amount of sorbitol to the subculture medium. NB medium was the best for callus initiation of japonica rice, but the improvement in the quality of callus of japonica subspecies was not obvious by adding ABA. During the period of subculture, to a certain degree, increasing the sucrose concentration could improve the proportion of hygromycin resistant calli. Furthermore, the transformation efficiency would be higher by applying selection pressure in the selection stage, removing selection pressure during the plantlet differentiation period and applying selection pressure again during seedling hardening period. Besides, suitable combination of plant hormones was beneficial for callus differentiation. An efficient /Agrobacterium-mediated rice transformation system had been established for several rice cultivars and a lot of transgenic rice plants had been obtained.     

提高农杆菌转化水稻频率几个因素的研究

以6个重要的籼稻和粳稻品种为材料,研究了影响农杆菌转化水稻频率的几个重要因素。结果表明,对于籼稻品种而言,CC培养基是愈伤组织的最适诱导培养基;添加1.0~2.0 mg/L ABA能有效地改善愈伤组织的质量;在继代培养基中添加山梨醇能改善愈伤组织的生长状态,降低愈伤组织的褐化。而对于粳稻品种来说,适宜的诱导培养基是NB培养基,添加ABA对愈伤组织的改善效果不明显,对于多次继代的愈伤可以适当增加蔗糖浓度以提高抗性愈伤率。此外,在筛选时期适当加大筛选压力,分化时去掉筛选压力,壮苗时加适当的选择压力,可提高转化率。在分化时,采用适宜的激素配比有利于提高分化率。应用所优化的农杆菌转化系统,获得了一些有价值的转化植株。     

Allelic Analysis for bar Gene from Different Rice Transformation Events

Abstract

Mechanism(s) of gene transformation and integration in rice (Oryza sauva L.) is/are not currently well understood. This research was conducted to determine whether a transgene is inserted into the rice genome specifically or randomly. Seven homozygous transgenic Taipei (T) 309 and Nipponbare plants with the bar transgene from different rice transformation events were crossed. The segregation of F2 and F3 populations from a total of 21 crosses was studied in a greenhouse and field to determine if the genes were allelic or non-allelic. Five genomic locations appeared to be involved among the seven transgenic plants. An additional 20 homozygous transgenic T309 plants, with the bar transgene from different transformation events, were crossed reciprocally with the previous seven plants. One hundred and fifteen crosses made during 1999 and 2000 were analyzed for allelism. In some combinations, the genes were allelic, but most of them were non-allelic, with two or more pairs of genes being expressed. Twenty loci among the 27 transgenic plants were involved and some plants had several inserted genes expressed. Genes in nine out of 27 transformed plants were allelic. We concluded that the functional foreign (bar) gene was restrictively/preferentially inserted into the rice genome in some cases and was not completely randomly inserted and expressed in the rice genome. If the mechanism(s) for preferential insertion were identified, rice researchers could possibly control insertion sites of transgenes to optimize gene expression.     

洁净DNA转化获得2mG2-epsps基因单拷贝整合的抗草甘膦水稻

洁净DNA转化是基因枪介导外源基因表达框导入植物的转化技术,能从根本上消除载体框架序列对转基因植株的不利影响。2mG2-epsps基因是具有重要育种价值的草甘膦除草剂抗性基因。以日本晴为材料,研究了草甘膦对水稻愈伤组织生长及分化的影响,采用洁净DNA转化技术将2mG2-epsps基因表达框导入水稻。结果表明:1)草甘膦对水稻愈伤组织的生长及分化有明显的抑制作用,当草甘膦浓度为2mmol/L时,愈伤组织绿苗分化率为18.97%,较对照71.67%显著降低。2)基因枪介导2mG2-epsps基因表达框转化水稻时,经草甘膦筛选获得抗性愈伤后,在植株再生培养基中去除筛选剂利于抗性愈伤的分化,转化率为17.20%。经Southern杂交分析,2mG2-epsps基因表达框均以单拷贝整合到受体基因组。52.17%(12/23)转基因株系可耐受12~50mmol/L的草甘膦。     

根癌农杆菌介导的水稻转化系统的优化及转反义Wx基因植株的获得

以具不同直链淀粉含量的籼粳稻品种为受体材料,试验了适宜于根癌农杆菌介导转化的水稻愈伤组织诱导培养基及其诱导培养的时间。结果表明,一种基于MS基本培养基的商品培养基较适合作为籼粳稻幼胚愈伤组织的诱导培养基;对于籼型杂交稻亲本协青早B,转化前幼胚较适合的愈伤组织诱导培养天数为8 d左右。在此基础上,将反义蜡质（Wx）基因分别导入上述受体亲本中,获得了一批转基因水稻植株。PCR和Southern杂交分析表明反义Wx基因已经整合进了转基因水稻的基因组中。遗传分析表明外源基因在转基因水稻后代中的分离符合3∶1的理论比例。     

A transgenic durum wheat line that is free of marker genes and expresses 1Dy10

As currently practiced, genetic engineering of monocots requires the use of selective agents, such as herbicides and antibiotics, and marker genes for resistance to favor the multiplication of the initially transformed cells. In the present paper we have used “minimal gene cassettes” and positive selection to generate transgenic durum wheat lines free of herbicide and antibiotic resistance marker genes. Two biolistic transformation experiments were carried out using three “minimal gene cassettes” consisting of linear DNA fragments each excised from the source plasmids. The targeted trait genes were two bread wheat sequences encoding the Dx5 and Dy10 high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenin subunits, which have been associated with superior bread-making quality and which are absent from durum wheats. The positive selectable marker was the Escherichia coli phosphomannose isomerase (pmi) gene, whose product catalyzes the reversible interconversion of mannose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate, allowing plant cells to utilize mannose as a carbon source. PCR assays of genomic DNA from regenerated plants identified 15 T₀ plants that contained the pmi marker gene for an overall transformation efficiency of 1.5%, which is similar to biolistic transformation efficiencies of durum wheat with intact circular plasmids. Line TC-52, which initially contained pmi, non-expressed 1Dx5, and expressed 1Dy10 HMW glutenin subunit transgenes, was further investigated. PCR was used to follow inheritance of the pmi marker gene and 1Dx5 from the T₁ to T₃ generations. Transgene expression was monitored by the chlorophenol-red assay for pmi and SDS-PAGE of seed proteins for 1Dy10. From these analyses, we observed that the 1Dy10, 1Dx5 and pmi transgenes were not linked, allowing us in the T₃ generation to identify 1Dy10 transgenic segregants that contained no marker or silent 1Dx5 transgenes. Homozygotes containing and expressing only the 1Dy10 transgene were identified in the T₄ generation. These experiments show that it is possible to combine biolistic transformation by minimal gene cassettes with genetic segregation to make marker-free transgenic wheat plants with new traits.     

转基因与常规杂交相结合改良水稻耐盐性

通过农杆菌介导法和基因枪法将CMO、BADH、mtlD、gutD和SAMDC基因以单价或双价的形式导入水稻常规品种中,再结合常规杂交育种,选育5价强耐盐性的转基因水稻植株。1~5价9类组合的水稻品系,经PCR分子检测,在转基因后代中多价目的基因聚合,遗传稳定,且分子检测与田间耐盐性的表现一致。转基因植株在盐碱地中能正常生长,拓展了水稻常规品种耐盐性。并已获得耐0.5%~1.0%NaCl的T秀水11——品3、品6和品7等9份优良株系或中间材料。     

Genetic Transformation of a High Molecular Weight Glutenin (Glu-1Dx5) to Rice cv. Fatmawati

Abstract

In order to improve rice dough functionality, we co-transformed the Glu-1Dx5 gene encoding a high molecular weight (HMW) glutenin subunit Dx5 from bread wheat, Triticum aestivum L. and either bar gene conferring resistance to herbicide bialaphos or hpt gene conferring resistance to hygromycin B to rice callus cells of cv. Fatmawati. We molecularly characterized 9 plants regenerated from bialaphos-containing medium and 63 plants from hygromycin-containing medium. The Glu-1Dx5 gene was detected by PCR analysis in 15 transgenic T₀ plants. Further analysis of T₁ and T₂ plants revealed that some transgenic plants carried the Glu-1Dx5 gene. Analysis of the endosperm extracts of T₂ plants by SDS-PAGE revealed the existence of a protein similar in size to the wheat Glu-1Dx5 gene product, suggesting successful expression of the transgene. These plants will be incorporated into breeding program for further assessment of their benefits.     

转铁蛋白基因增强水稻对氧化胁迫与稻瘟病菌的抗性

对转豌豆铁蛋白（pea ferritin,Fer）基因水稻T1代的53个株系进行PCR检测,52个株系能扩增出阳性PCR产物。通过测定光合作用过程中最大光化学通量（Fv/Fm值）分析了由百草枯处理引起的T1代水稻叶片的氧化损害。与未转基因水稻相比,转Fer基因水稻的叶片对氧化胁迫的耐受能力有不同程度的增强。百草枯处理后转基因植株叶片叶绿素含量与水处理叶片相比没有明显下降,而未转基因植株叶片叶绿素含量降低至水处理叶片的20％左右。选取9株对氧化胁迫耐受能力较强的水稻进行了Northern blot分析和子代的稻瘟病抗性测定,其中5株转基因植株Fer mRNA 积累增强。病原菌接种后T2代转基因植株的病斑数量明显少于非转基因植株。表明转Fer基因水稻对氧化胁迫和病原菌有较好的抗性。     

水稻成熟胚盾片诱导愈伤组织再生体系的建立

采用水稻成熟胚盾片诱导愈伤组织作为分化再生的外植体，通过优化激素组合和调节培养基渗透压，建立了适合水稻遗传转化的高效再生体系，将水稻成熟胚诱导愈伤组织分化再生的过程划分为3个不同时期，即成熟胚盾片愈伤组织诱导，胚性细胞诱导保持，胚性愈伤组织分化再生，以CultureI(LS 2,4-D2.0mg/L)诱导成熟胚盾片愈伤组织，愈伤组织剥离后接种于Culture II-3(LS 2,4-D 2.5mg/L 山梨醇3g/L)上诱导胚性愈伤组织，继代后接种于Culture Ⅲ-2(MS NAA 0.5mg/L 6-BA 1.0mg/L Kinetin 2.0mg/L 山梨醇8g／L）上分化成苗，培养结果表明，该再生体系所获得的胚性愈伤组织分化再生率均在60％－80％之间，利用本研究建立的高效再生体系建立水稻外源基因遗传转化系统，使转化过程中所得转化愈伤组织高效再生成苗，从而顺利获得转化植株，可以提高水稻外源基因转化的效率，为水稻品种的定向遗传改良提供优良的遗传转化技术体系。     

Gene targeting using the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated CRISPR-Cas system in rice

Background

The type II clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/ CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system is a novel molecular tool for site-specific genome modification. The CRISPR-Cas9 system was recently introduced into plants by transient or stable transformation.

Findings

Here, we report gene targeting in rice via the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated CRISPR-Cas9 system. Three 20-nt CRISPR RNAs were designed to pair with diverse sites followed by the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) of the rice herbicide resistance gene BEL. After integrating the single-guide RNA (sgRNA) and Cas9 cassette in a single binary vector, transgenic rice plants harboring sgRNA:Cas9 were generated by A. tumefaciens-mediated stable transformation. By analyzing the targeting site on the genome of corresponding transgenic plants, the mutations were determined. The mutagenesis efficiency was varied from ~2% to ~16%. Furthermore, phenotypic analysis revealed that the biallelic mutated transgenic plant was sensitive to bentazon.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that the agricultural trait could be purposely modified by sgRNA:Cas9-induced gene targeting. CRISPR-Cas9 system could be exploited as a powerful tool for trait improvements in crop breeding.