Transferring a Gene Expression Cassette Lacking the Vector Backbone Sequences of the 1Ax1 High Molecular Weight Glutenin Subunit into Two Chinese Hexaploid Wheat Genotypes

1Ax1 high molecular weight glutenin subunit （HMW-GS） gene expression cassette （GEC） lacking vector backbone sequences together with selectable marker Bar GEC were co-transformed into Chinese hexaploid cultivars Een 1 and Emai 12 to test the feasibility and the efficiency of explant regeneration, transformation frequency and transgene expression comparing with whole vector transformation by the approaches of plasmid extraction and excision, immature embryo isolation, particle co-bombardment, tissue culture, DNA extraction, PCR amplification, southern hybridization, leaf-painting test and SDS-PAGE etc. No significant difference was shown in tissue culture response of the proportion of embryogenic calli, somatic embryogenesis and regeneration frequency between GEC and whole plasmid bombarded embryos, but both regenerated less well than non-bombarded control. Total 56 plantlets that survived PPT selection had insertion of at least the Bar gene, 18 were from the GEC treatment and 38 from the whole plasmid treatment, the escape ratio averaged 0.23. Six independent transplants f230 - f235 with GEC transformation from genotype Emai 12 presented clear PCR amplification bands of Bar and 1Ax1 gene. The transformation and co-transformation frequency were 3.51 and 100% respectively. PCR amplification using a primer-pair specific for ampicillin resistant gene indicated the existence of Amp^R gene in whole vectors but the removal in GECs and transplants. Southern blot of total DNA and PCR products from transgenic plants of 1Ax1 GEC confirmed the integration of the transgene 1Ax1 and the absence of the EcoR Ⅰ recognition site at both ends of the 1Ax1 GEC when integrated. SDS-PAGE showed the expression of 1Ax1 GEC and un-expression of whole plasmid. The length of integrated fragment, the proportion of the gene of interest （GOI） and the selectable marker （MG）, bombardment pressure and genotypes are vital for the expression of a transformed GEC.

Comparison of Biolistic and Agrobacterium-mediated Transformation Methods on Transgene Copy Number and Rearrangement Frequency in Rice

Transferring foreign DNA into plant cells by biolistic and Agrobacterium _mediated methods may result in random integration of different copy numbers of the transgene, and different proportions of intact vs. rearranged copies of the transgene. This may, in turn, affect transgene expression levels. To test the above hypothesis, we first introduced the same plasmid, pAc1PG_CAM, into rice (Oryza sativa L.) calli separately by the biolistic method and by the Agrobacterium _mediated method. To show whether different plasmids may affect the results, we also introduced pTOK233 by the Agrobacterium _mediated method and pJPM44 by the biolistic method. Transgene expression of R0 plants was monitored by histochemical analysis of GUS activity. Transgene copy number was determined by Southern blot analysis after digesting genomic DNA with an enzyme that has a unique cutting site within the input plasmid. The total genomic DNA was also digested by a two_cut enzyme (the cuts are located at two sides of a given transgene expression cassette), followed by Southern blotting analysis, for determining the number of intact transgene expression cassettes. Our data showed that Agrobacterium _mediated transformation resulted in lower transgene copy number (average between 2.1 and 2.3) in transgenic rice plants, compared with those plants obtained by the biolistic method (average between 4.2 and 5.6). The frequency of DNA rearrangement in expression cassettes is lower in transgenic rice plants obtained by the Agrobacterium _ mediated method than those obtained by the biolistic method. The average rearrangement frequency is 0.07 to 0.106 for the Agrobacterium _mediated method, and 0.57 to 0.66 for the biolistic method. Our results suggest that it is better to compare the number of intact expression cassettes instead of the total copy number of the transgene in demonstrating their influence on the level of transgene expression. This is the first report on the frequency of expression cassette rearrangement in transgenic plants transformed with the same plasmid by two different transformation methods.