title: Tobacco plants transformed with cdc25, a mitotic inducer gene from fission yeast.
abstract: We investigated the effects of expressing a cDNA of cdc25, a mitotic inducer gene of Schizosaccharomyces pombe, on the development of transgenic tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsun). Nine independent primary transformants were regenerated containing the cdc25 sequence under the control of a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S gene promoter. Eight of the nine plants showed altered leaf morphology, the lamina being lengthened and twisted and the interveinal regions being pocketed. One of these was sacrificed for analysis of the root meristem, where the cells were found to be significantly smaller than in the wild type. The other seven were grown on and showed precocious flowering, flowers being produced earlier and in significantly greater numbers than in the wild type. They also developed abnormal flowers on short stalks developing in a position normally occupied by the most proximal axillary bud of otherwise normal flower pedicels. The presence or absence of these phenotypes in the primary transformants and in the T2 generation was associated with the presence or absence of detectable levels of cdc25 transcripts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bristol, AFRC Institute of Arable Crops Research, Long Ashton Research Station, England.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Halford
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ormrod
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Francis
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D008938:Mitosis / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D020666:ras-GRF1
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D020666:ras-GRF1