title: Degradation and transformability of DNA from transgenic leaves.
abstract: The fate of transplastomic (chloroplast genome contains the transgene) tobacco plant DNA in planta was studied when the plant leaves were subjected to decay conditions simulating those encountered naturally, including grinding, incubation with cellulase or enzymes produced by Erwinia chrysanthemi, and attack by the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum. Direct visualization of DNA on agarose gels, gene extraction yield (the number of amplifiable aadA sequences in extracted plant DNA), and the frequency that recipient bacteria can be transformed by plant DNA were used to evaluate the quality and quantity of plant DNA and the transgene. These measurements were used to monitor the physical and biological degradation of DNA inside decaying plant tissues. Our results indicate that while most of the DNA will be degraded inside plant cells, sufficient DNA persists to be released into the soil.
authors.affiliation: Ecologie Microbienne, UMR CNRS 5557, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon 1, France.
authors.forename: MariaTeresa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ceccherini
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Poté
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: Van Tran
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Van
authors.forename: Joëlle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maréchal
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pietramellara
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nannipieri
authors.forename: Timothy M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simonet
mesh_terms: D016954:Acinetobacter calcoaceticus / Q000235:genetics*; D020562:Betaproteobacteria / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002480:Cellulase / Q000378:metabolism; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics*; D011096:Polygalacturonase / Q000378:metabolism; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases; C022678:streptomycin 3''-adenylyltransferase; D011096:Polygalacturonase; D002480:Cellulase