Effect of chromatin upon Agrobacterium T-DNA integration and transgene expression.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens transfers DNA (T-DNA) to plant cells, where it integrates into the plant genome. Little is known about how T-DNA chooses sites within the plant chromosome for integration. Previous studies indicated that T-DNA preferentially integrates into transcriptionally active regions of the genome, especially in 5'-promoter regions. This would make sense, considering that chromatin structure surrounding active promoters may be more "open" and accessible to foreign DNA. However, recent results suggest that this seemingly non-random pattern of integration may be an artifact of selection bias, and that T-DNA may integrate more randomly than previously thought. In this chapter, I discuss the history of these observations and the role chromatin proteins may play in T-DNA integration and transgene expression. Understanding how chromatin conformation may influence T-DNA integration will be important in developing strategies for reproducible and stable transgene expression, and for gene targeting.
Gelvin
Stanton B
SB
Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1392, USA. gelvin@bilbo.bio.purdue
Kim
Sang-Ic
SI
D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000235:genetics*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics*; D032461:Chromosomes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D018745:Genome, Plant; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D016662:Virus Integration
D002843:Chromatin; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D006657:Histones; D010940:Plant Proteins; C036483:T-DNA