Transformation of plant protoplasts with DNA: cotransformation of non-selected calf thymus carrier DNA and meiotic segregation of transforming DNA sequences

Abstract

With the DNA transformation procedure developed in our laboratory (13) several transformed tobacco SR1 tissues were obtained which, apart from selected and non-selected pTi sequences (T(+)), also had acquired non-selected calf thymus carrier DNA sequences (C(+)), being integrated in their nuclear genomes. From one such tissue (cNT4), with a shooty crown gall phenotype and expressing mannopine synthesis activity (Mas(+)), shoots were grafted and mature, flowering plants (gNT4) were obtained. After cross pollination with wild type SR1 tobacco pollen 49% of the seedlings obtained, had the maternal NT4-like crown gall phenotype and 51% showed wild type (SR1) features. The mannopine locus segregated independently from the locus determining the crown gall phenotype. When screened for integrated ('transforming') foreign DNA sequences 97% of the NT4-like seedlings turned out to be C(+)T(+). Most of the SR1-like seedlings, having a wild type tobacco morphology, proved to be transformed as well: roughly a 1:1:1:1 ratio as found for C(+)T(+):C(-)T(+): C(+)T:C T SR1-like seedlings. Based on the segregation of transforming sequences during meiosis a model is presented showing the integration of these sequences in three different host chromosomes.