Abstract
Changes in DNA methylation patterns are frequently associated with the modification of gene expression in mammalian and plant cells. This article summarizes data about transgene silencing accompanied by DNA hypermethylation in transgenic petunia plants carrying the A1 gene from Zea mays. Introduction of the A1 marker gene triggers the accumulation of brick-red pelargonidin pigments in floral cells of transgenic Petunia hybrida. Therefore, the system provides a model to study transcription of transgenes. Petunia plants are especially suitable for long-term studies on transgene stability because individual plants, regenerated from leaf tissue or single protoplasts, can be preserved in tissue culture or in the greenhouse over several years. Defined genotypes are readily propagated and amplified via stem cuttings or protoplast culture. New flowers continuously emerge from plants grown in the greenhouse, which allows a constant monitoring of transgene expression. Transcription instabilities are detected by changes in floral pigmentation patterns, and epigenetic variants of isogenic material can be selected and propagated as individual plants, thus providing sufficient amounts of plant tissue for molecular analysis.
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