title: Cre recombinase expression can result in phenotypic aberrations in plants.
abstract: The cre recombinase gene was stably introduced and expressed in tomato, petunia and Nicotiana tabacum. Some plants expressing the cre gene driven by a CaMV 35S promoter displayed growth retardation and a distinct pattern of chlorosis in their leaves. Although no direct relation can be proven between the phenotype and cre expression, aberrant phenotypes always co-segregate with the transgene, which strongly suggests a correlation. The severity of the phenotype does not correlate with the level of steady-state mRNA in mature leaves, but with the timing of cre expression during organogenesis. The early onset of cre expression in tomato is correlated with a more severe phenotype and with higher germinal transmission frequencies of site-specific deletions. No aberrant phenotype was observed when a tissue-specific phaseolin promoter was used to drive the cre gene. The data suggest that for the application of recombinases in plants, expression is best limited to specific tissues and a short time frame.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Institute for Molecular Biological Sciences, BioCentrum Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. e.r.coppoolse@plant.wag-ur.nl
authors.forename: Eric R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Coppoolse
authors.forename: Marianne J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: de Vroomen
authors.forename: Dick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roelofs
authors.forename: Jaap
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.forename: Femke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van Gennip
authors.forename: Bart J M
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Hersmus
authors.forename: H John J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Nijkamp
authors.forename: Mark J J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: van Haaren
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D018745:Genome, Plant; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D009154:Mutation; D032306:Petunia / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D010641:Phenotype; D063245:Plant Development; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011995:Recombination, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D018744:DNA, Plant; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C036483:T-DNA; D014764:Viral Proteins; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases