TY - JOUR

T1 - The expression of a maize glutathione S-transferase gene in transgenic wheat confers herbicide tolerance, both in planta and in vitro

AU - Milligan, A. S.

AU - Daly, A.

AU - Parry, M. A. J.

AU - Lazzeri, P. A.

AU - Jepson, I.

PY - 2001/12

Y1 - 2001/12

N2 - Maize (Zea mays), in common with a number of other important crop species, has several glutathione S-transferase (GST) isoforms that have been implicated in the detoxification of xenobiotics via glutathione conjugation. A cDNA encoding the maize GST subunit GST-27, under the control of a strong constitutive promoter, was introduced into explants of the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) lines cv. Florida and L88-31 via particle bombardment, using the phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (pat) gene as a selectable marker. All six independent transgenic wheat lines recovered expressed the GST-27 gene. T1 progeny of these wheat lines were germinated on solid medium containing the chloroacetanilide herbicide alachlor, and tolerance to this herbicide was correlated with GST-27 expression levels. In glasshouse sprays, homozygous T2 plants were resistant not only to alachlor but also to the chloroacetanilide herbicide dimethenamid and the thiocarbamate herbicide EPTC. These additional GST-27 activities, demonstrated via over-expression in a heterologous host, have not been described previously. T2 plants showed no enhanced tolerance to the herbicides atrazine (an s-triazine) or oxyfluorfen (a diphenyl ether). In further experiments, T2 wheat plants were recovered from immature transgenic scutella cultured on medium containing 100 mg/l alachlor, a concentration which killed null segregant and wild-type scutella. These data indicate the potential of the maize GST-27 gene as a selectable marker in wheat transformation.

AB - Maize (Zea mays), in common with a number of other important crop species, has several glutathione S-transferase (GST) isoforms that have been implicated in the detoxification of xenobiotics via glutathione conjugation. A cDNA encoding the maize GST subunit GST-27, under the control of a strong constitutive promoter, was introduced into explants of the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) lines cv. Florida and L88-31 via particle bombardment, using the phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (pat) gene as a selectable marker. All six independent transgenic wheat lines recovered expressed the GST-27 gene. T1 progeny of these wheat lines were germinated on solid medium containing the chloroacetanilide herbicide alachlor, and tolerance to this herbicide was correlated with GST-27 expression levels. In glasshouse sprays, homozygous T2 plants were resistant not only to alachlor but also to the chloroacetanilide herbicide dimethenamid and the thiocarbamate herbicide EPTC. These additional GST-27 activities, demonstrated via over-expression in a heterologous host, have not been described previously. T2 plants showed no enhanced tolerance to the herbicides atrazine (an s-triazine) or oxyfluorfen (a diphenyl ether). In further experiments, T2 wheat plants were recovered from immature transgenic scutella cultured on medium containing 100 mg/l alachlor, a concentration which killed null segregant and wild-type scutella. These data indicate the potential of the maize GST-27 gene as a selectable marker in wheat transformation.

KW - Glutathione S-transferase (GST)

KW - Herbicide tolerance

KW - Maize

KW - Selectable marker

KW - Transformation

KW - Wheat

U2 - 10.1023/A:1011652821765

DO - 10.1023/A:1011652821765

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:0034807311

VL - 7

SP - 301

EP - 315

JO - Molecular Breeding

JF - Molecular Breeding

SN - 1380-3743

IS - 4

ER -