CP4 EPSPS Transgene Research Articles

Endogenous tassel-specific small RNAs-mediated RNA interference enables a novel glyphosate-inducible male sterility system for commercial production of hybrid seed in Zea mays L.

Hybrid crops produce higher yields than their inbred parents due to heterosis. For high purity of hybrid seeds, it is critical to eliminate self-pollination. Manual or mechanical removal of male parts (such as detasseling in maize) is labor-intensive, fuel and time-consuming, and can cause physical damage to female plants, resulting in significant seed yield reductions. Many male-sterility systems either require a maintainer for male-sterile line propagation or are often affected by environmental factors. Roundup® Hybridization System (RHS) utilizes glyphosate to induce male sterility, which effectively eliminates the need for maintainer lines and removal of male parts for commercial hybrid seed production. The first-generation RHS (RHS1) is based on low expression of a glyphosate-insensitive 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (CP4 EPSPS) in pollen. This report presents the second-generation RHS (RHS2) technology built on RNA interference (RNAi) combined with CP4 EPSPS. It utilizes maize endogenous male tissue-specific small interfering RNAs (mts-siRNAs) to trigger cleavage of the CP4 EPSPS mRNA specifically in tassels, resulting in glyphosate-sensitive male cells due to lack of the CP4 EPSPS protein. Male sterility is then induced by glyphosate application at the stages critical for pollen development, and the male-sterile plants are used as the female parent to produce hybrid seed. The endogenous mts-siRNAs are conserved across maize germplasms, and the inducible male sterility was replicated in representative germplasms through introgression of a CP4 EPSPS transgene containing the mts-siRNA target sequence. This technology combines the relative simplicity and convenience of a systemic herbicide spray methodology with targeted protein expression to create an inducible male sterility system for industrial production of row crop hybrid seeds in an environmentally-independent manner.

Assessment of the potential for gene flow from transgenic maize (Zea mays L.) to eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides L.)

Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides L.) belongs to the same tribe of the Poaceae family as maize (Zea mays L.) and grows naturally in the same region where maize is commercially produced in the USA. Although no evidence exists of gene flow from maize to eastern gamagrass in nature, experimental crosses between the two species were produced using specific techniques. As part of environmental risk assessment, the possibility of transgene flow from maize to eastern gamagrass populations in nature was evaluated with the objectives: (1) to assess the seeds of eastern gamagrass populations naturally growing near commercial maize fields for the presence of a transgenic glyphosate-tolerance gene (cp4 epsps) that would indicate cross-pollination between the two species, and (2) to evaluate the possibility of interspecific hybridization between transgenic maize used as male parent and eastern gamagrass used as female parent. A total of 46,643 seeds from 54 eastern gamagrass populations collected in proximity of maize fields in Illinois, USA were planted in a field in 2014 and 2015. Emerged seedlings were treated with glyphosate herbicide and assessed for survival. An additional 48,000 seeds from the same 54 eastern gamagrass populations were tested for the presence of the cp4 epsps transgene markers using TaqMan® PCR method. The results from these trials showed that no seedlings survived the herbicide treatment and no seed indicated presence of the herbicide tolerant cp4 epsps transgene, even though these eastern gamagrass populations were exposed to glyphosate-tolerant maize pollen for years. Furthermore, no interspecific hybrid seeds were produced from 135 hand-pollination attempts involving 1529 eastern gamagrass spikelets exposed to maize pollen. Together, these results indicate that there is no evidence of gene flow from maize to eastern gamagrass in natural habitats. The outcome of this study should be taken in consideration when assessing for environmental risks regarding the consequence of gene flow from transgenic maize to its wild relatives.

Herbicide-resistant cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) plants: an alternative way of manual weed removal.

BackgroundCotton yield has been badly affected by different insects and weed competition. In Past Application of multiple chemicals is required to manage insects and weed control was achieved by different conventional means, such as hand weeding, crop rotation and polyculture, because no synthetic chemicals were available. The control methods shifted towards high input and target-oriented methods after the discovery of synthetic herbicide in the 1930s. To utilise the transgenic approach, cotton plants expressing the codon-optimised CEMB GTGene were produced in the present study.ResultsLocal cotton variety CEMB-02 containing Cry1Ac and Cry2A in single cassette was transformed by synthetic codon-optimised 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase gene cloned into pCAMBIA 1301 vector under 35S promoter with Agrobacterium tumifaciens. Putative transgenic plants were screened in MS medium containing 120 µmol/L glyphosate. Integration and expression of the gene were evaluated by PCR from genomic DNA and ELISA from protein. A 1.4-kb PCR product for Glyphosate and 167-bp product for Cry2A were obtained by amplification through gene specific primers. Expression level of Glyphosate and Bt proteins in two transgenic lines were recorded to be 0.362, 0.325 µg/g leaf and 0.390, 0.300 µg/g leaf respectively. FISH analysis of transgenic lines demonstrates the presence of one and two copy no. of Cp4 EPSPS transgene respectively. Efficacy of the transgene Cp4 EPSPS was further evaluated by Glyphosate spray (41 %) assay at 1900 ml/acre and insect bioassay which shows 100 %mortality of insect feeding on transgenic lines as compared to control.ConclusionThe present study shows that the transgenic lines produced in this study were resistant not only to insects but also equally good against 1900 ml/acre field spray concentration of glyphosate.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13104-015-1397-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Monitoring transgene expression levels in different genotypes of field grown maize (Zea mays L.)

Transgenes in commercially available genetically modified plants are generally controlled by strong constitutive promoters to ensure a high level of expression at all stages of cultivation. Constitutive promoters however are influenced by a wide range of factors, and expression profiles of the transgenes in multiple genetic backgrounds have not yet been extensively studied. In this study a powerful expression profiling methodology for transgenic maize (Zea mays L.) is demonstrated on a large scale, analysing thousands of data points from three genotypes of herbicide and insect pest tolerant transgenic maize. Martonvásár inbred lines were crossed with LH244 maize line containing the MON 88017 events, and leaf tissue from the sixth backcross generation was sampled at four relevant phenological phases. Relative expression levels were determined using 18S rRNA as a reference and detailed statistical analysis performed. Expression levels of both transgenes are varied throughout plant development, and the interaction between the genetic background and phenophase are significant (p<0.05). Expression is present at a significant level throughout all the phenological stages. We found that the genetic background has a significant (p<0.01) effect on transgene expression levels in the case of the CP4epsps transgene, but not in the case of cry3Bb1, implying that the sensitivity of different constitutive promoter constructs to the effects of the genetic background is different.

Illegal gene flow from transgenic creeping bentgrass: the saga continues

Ecologists have paid close attention to environmental effects that fitness-enhancing transgenes might have following crop-to-wild gene flow (e.g. Snow et al. 2003). For some crops, gene flow also can lead to legal problems,especially when government agencies have not approved transgenic events for unrestricted environmental release.Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera), a common turf grass used in golf courses, is the focus of both areas of concern. In 2002, prior to expected deregulation (still pending), The Scotts Company planted creeping bentgrass with transgenic resistance to the herbicide glyphosate,also known as RoundUp, on 162 ha in a designated control area in central Oregon (Fig. 1).Despite efforts to restrict gene flow, wind-dispersed pollen carried transgenes to florets of local A. stolonifera and A. gigantea as far as 14 km away, and to sentinel plants placed as far as 21 km away (Watrud et al. 2004).Then, in August 2003, a strong wind event moved transgenic seeds from wind rows of cut bentgrass into nearby areas. The company’s efforts to kill all transgenic survivors in the area failed: feral glyphosate-resistant populations of A. stolonifera were found by Reichman et al.(2006), and 62% of 585 bentgrass plants had the telltale CP4 EPSPS transgene in 2006 (Zapiola et al. 2008; Fig. 2).Now, in this issue, the story gets even more interesting as Zapiola & Mallory-Smith (2012) describe a transgenic,intergeneric hybrid produced on a feral, transgenic creeping bentgrass plant that received pollen from Polypogon monspeliensis (rabbitfoot grass). Their finding raises a host of new questions about the prevalence and fitness of intergeneric hybrids, as well as how to evaluate the full extent of gene flow from transgenic crops.

Herbicide-resistant, transgenic zonal pelargoniums produced by step-down glyphosate selection and plantlet recovery in the presence of aromatic amino acids

A genetic transformation protocol was developed using the transfer of a synthetic CP4 EPSPS transgene, as a conditional positive selectable marker, into commercially relevant zonal pelargoniums using an Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain in combination with a novel step-down glyphosate selection system. The transformation efficiency based on independent T-DNA integration events averaged 1.9 % over 10 experiments. Some 273 independent transformants were produced within an average time of 6 mo from explant inoculation with Agrobacterium to plantlet recovery. For plantlet recovery, three aromatic amino acids were incorporated into the rooting medium to ameliorate the accumulative effects of glyphosate selection. The T-DNA also contained a mutant ethylene receptor (etr1-1) cDNA from Arabidopsis thaliana, under control of the petunia flower-specific, floral-binding protein promoter, to confer ethylene insensitivity. However, delayed flower senescence was not obtained. The transformation protocol provides a reliable method to add herbicide resistance and other traits to zonal pelargonium.

Changes in constructedBrassicacommunities treated with glyphosate drift

We constructed a mixed-species community designed to simulate roadside and field edge plant communities and exposed it to glyphosate drift in order to test three hypotheses: (1) higher fitness in transgenic Brassica carrying the CP4 EPSPS transgene that confers resistance to glyphosate will result in significant changes in the plant community relative to control communities; (2) given repeated years of glyphosate drift selective pressure, the increased fitness of the transgenic Brassica with CP4 EPSPS will contribute to an increase in the proportion of transgenic progeny produced in plant communities; and (3) the increased fitness of Brassica carrying the CP4 EPSPS transgene will contribute to decreased levels of mycorrhizal infection and biomass in a host species (Trifolium incarnatum). Due to regulatory constraints that prevented the use of outdoor plots for our studies, in 2005 we established multispecies communities in five large cylindrical outdoor sunlit mesocosms (plastic greenhouses) designed for pollen confinement. Three of the community members were sexually compatible Brassica spp.: transgenic glyphosate-resistant canola (B. napus) cultivar (cv.) RaideRR, glyphosate-sensitive non-transgenic B. napus cv. Sponsor, and a weedy B. rapa (GRIN Accession 21735). Additional plant community members were the broadly distributed annual weeds Digitaria sanguinalis, Panicum capillare, and Lapsana communis. Once annually in 2006 and 2007, two mesocosms were sprayed with glyphosate at 10% of the field application rate to simulate glyphosate drift as a selective pressure. After two years, changes were observed in community composition, plant density, and biomass in both control and treatment mesocosms. In control mesocosms, the weed D. sanguinalis (crabgrass) began to dominate. In glyphosate drift-treated mesocosms, Brassica remained the dominant genus and the incidence of the CP4 EPSPS transgene increased in the community. Shoot biomass and mycorrhizal infection in Trifolium incarnatum planted in 2008 were significantly lower in mesocosms that had received glyphosate drift treatments. Our results suggest that, over time, glyphosate drift can contribute to persistence of Brassica that express the CP4 EPSPS transgene and that increased representation of Brassica (a non-mycorrhizal host) within plant communities may indirectly negatively impact beneficial ecosystem services associated with arbuscular mycorrhiza.

Detection of transgenic cp4 epsps genes in the soil food web

The persistence and movement of transgenic DNA in agricultural and natural systems is largely unknown. This movement poses a threat of horizontal gene transfer and possible proliferation of genetically modified DNA into the general environment. To assess the persistence of transgenic DNA in a field of Roundup Ready® corn, we quantified the presence of the transgene for glyphosate tolerance within a soil food web. Using quantitative real-time PCR, we identified the cp4 epsps transgene in bulk soil microarthropods, nematodes, macroarthropods and earthworms sampled within the corn cropping system. We found evidence of the transgene at all dates and in all animal groups. Transgenic DNA concentration in animal was significantly higher than that of background soil, suggesting the animals were feeding directly on transgenic plant material. It remains to be tested whether this DNA was still within the plant residues, present as free, extracellular DNA or had already undergone genetic transformation into competent bacterial cells. These results are the first to demonstrate the persistence of transgenic crop DNA residues within a food web.

Detection and quantification of 5 enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (cp4 epsps) upon Brassica napus × Brassica juncea outcrossing using real-time PCR

Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) is an important agronomic crop used for oil, food and animal feed. Glyphosate resistant B. napus is tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate and has been widely adopted due to higher economic returns. However, a concern for growing transgenic B. napus is the potential escape of cp4 epsps transgene via cross fertilization with wild and/or weedy species including Brassica juncea, especially in China, where B. juncea is prevalent. We assessed transgene inheritance and quantification upon wild B. juncea × transgenic B. napus outcrossing from three backcross (BC) generations and their progenies using real-time PCR. Under in vitro conditions, a stable inheritance and similar cp4 epsps copy number between different generations (BC2, BC3 and BC4) and their progenies were observed. A marginally higher copy number was observed when B. juncea was used as the paternal as compared to when it was used as maternal parent. This study demonstrates stable inheritance of the glyphosate resistance trait and the production of fit out crossed offspring in cases of wild type B. juncea × transgenic B. napus.

국내 옥수수 순계주에서 CP4 5-Enol- Pyruvylshikimate-3- Phosphate Synthase 유전자의 발현

국내 옥수수 순계주에서 Agrobacterium 공동배양으로 CP4 5-Enol-pyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (CP4 EPSPS) 유전자가 도입된 제초제저항성식물체를 개발하였다. 5개의 순계주 (HW1, KL103, HW3, HW4, HW7)의 미숙배를 Ubiquitin promoter-CP4 EPSPS 유전자와 CaMV35S promoter-nptII 유전자가 발현되도록 제조된 pCAMBIA2300 벡터를 C58C1 Agrobacterium에 형질전환하여 공동 배양하였다. 항생제로 paromomycin이 첨가된 배지에서 선발된 옥수수 형질전환체를 PCR, RT-PCR 및 Northern 분석을 통하여 유전자의 도입과 발현을 확인하였다. 또한 형질전환 식물체의 glyphosate 처리에 따른 shikimate 축적반응을 확인하였다. Paromomycin 저항성 캘러스 형성빈도는 옥수수 각 순계주 HW1, KL103, HW3, HW4, HW7에서 각각 0.37%, 0.03%, 2.20%, 2.37%, 0.81%로 나타났으며, PCR분석을 통하여 최종적으로 2개의 옥수수 순계주 (HW3, HW4)의 paromomycin 저항성 캘러스로부터 분화된 식물체에서 확인하였다. 이러한 형질전환체중에서 RT-PCR 및 Nothern blot 분석을 통하여 CP4 EPSPS 유전자가 발현되는 2개의 계통 (M266, M104) 을 선발하였고, shikimate 축적반응을 통하여 glyphosate에 대한 저항성을 갖는 계통 (M266)을 최종적으로 선발하였다. 이러한 결과는 국내 옥수수 순계주에서 제초제저항성을 갖는 옥수수 형질 전환체를 개발할 수 있음을 시사한다. This study was conducted to develop herbicide-resistance domestic maize plants by introducing the CP4 5-enol-pyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (CP4 EPSPS) gene using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated immature embryo transformation. Immature embryos of five genotypes (HW1, KL103, HW3, HW4, HW7) were co-cultivated with strains Agrobacterium tumefaciens (strain C58C1) containing the binary vector (pCAMBIA2300) carrying Ubiquitin promoter-CP4 EPSPS gene and Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S (CaMV35S) promoter-nptll gene conferring resistance to paromomycin as a selective agent. The presence and expression of CP4 EPSPS transgene were confirmed by PCR, RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis, respectively. Also, the resistance to glyphosate in the transgenic maize (<TEX>$T_1$</TEX>) was analyzed by shikimate accumulation assay. The frequency (%) of paromomycin-resistance callus was 0.37, 0.03, 2.20, 2.37, and 0.81% in pure lines HW1, KL103, HW3, HW4 and HW7, respectively. EPSP transgene sequences were amplified in putative transgenic plants that regenerated from paromomycin-resistance calli of two inbred lines (HW3, HW4). Of them, RT-PCR and Northern blot analyses revealed that the transgene was only expressed in two transgenic events (M266, M104) of HW4 inbred line, and a mild glyphosate resistance of transgenic event (M266) was confirmed by the lower shikimate accumulation in leaf segments. These results demonstrate that transgenic maize with herbicide-resistance traits in Korean genotype can be genetically obtained.

Detection of Transgenic and Endogenous Plant DNA in Digesta and Tissues of Sheep and Pigs Fed Roundup Ready Canola Meal

The persistence of plant-derived recombinant DNA in sheep and pigs fed genetically modified (Roundup Ready) canola was assessed by PCR and Southern hybridization analysis of DNA extracted from digesta, gastrointestinal (GI) tract tissues, and visceral organs. Sheep (n = 11) and pigs (n = 36) were fed to slaughter on diets containing 6.5 or 15% Roundup Ready canola. Native plant DNA (high- and low-copy-number gene fragments) and the cp4 epsps transgene that encodes 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3-phosphate synthase were tracked in ruminal, abomasal, and large intestinal digesta and in tissue from the esophagus, rumen, abomasum, small and large intestine, liver, and kidney of sheep and in cecal content and tissue from the duodenum, cecum, liver, spleen, and kidney of pigs. High-copy chloroplast-specific DNA (a 520-bp fragment) was detected in all digesta samples, the majority (89-100%) of intestinal tissues, and at least one of each visceral organ sample (frequencies of 3-27%) from sheep and swine. Low-copy rubisco fragments (186- and 540-bp sequences from the small subunit) were present at slightly lower, variable frequencies in digesta (18-82%) and intestinal tissues (9-27% of ovine and 17-25% of porcine samples) and infrequently in visceral organs (1 of 88 ovine samples; 3 of 216 porcine samples). Each of the five cp4 epsps transgene fragments (179-527 bp) surveyed was present in at least 27% of ovine large intestinal content samples (maximum = 64%) and at least 33% of porcine cecal content samples (maximum = 75%). In sheep, transgene fragments were more common in intestinal digesta than in ruminal or abomasal content. Transgene fragments were detected in 0 (esophagus) to 3 (large intestine) GI tract tissues from the 11 sheep and in 0-10 of the duodenal and cecal tissues collected from 36 pigs. The feed-ingested recombinant DNA was not detected in visceral tissues (liver, kidney) of lambs or in the spleen from pigs. Of note, however, one liver and one kidney sample from the pigs (different animals) were positive for a 278-bp fragment of the transgenic cp4 epsps (denoted F3). Examination of genomic libraries from these tissues yielded no conclusive information regarding integration of the fragment into porcine DNA. This study confirms that feed-ingested DNA fragments (endogenous and transgenic) do survive to the terminal GI tract and that uptake into gut epithelial tissues does occur. A very low frequency of transmittance to visceral tissue was confirmed in pigs, but not in sheep. It is recognized that the low copy number of transgenes in GM feeds is a challenge to their detection in tissues, but there was no evidence to suggest that recombinant DNA would be processed in the gut in any manner different from endogenous feed-ingested genetic material.

Gametic Selection by Glyphosate in Soybean Plants Hemizygous for the CP4 EPSPS Transgene

Glyphosate application to glyphosate‐tolerant soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars expressing a CP4 EPSPS transgene has become the most common method of soybean weed control in the USA. The objectives of this research were (i) to determine whether atypical segregation ratios for glyphosate tolerance and glyphosate sensitivity in the progeny of hemizygous plants resulted from gametic selection caused by glyphosate applications, (ii) to investigate the effects of different glyphosate application rates and timing of application on segregation ratios, and (iii) to determine whether male gametes, female gametes, or both were sensitive to the levels of glyphosate used. Segregation for glyphosate tolerance in a no‐glyphosate control treatment fit the expected 3:1 segregation ratio, indicating segregation of a single transgene. Glyphosate applications at three stages of plant development (V3, V3 + 2 to 3 wk, V3 + 3 to 4 wk) eliminated the glyphosate‐sensitive phenotypic class irrespective of plant maturation stage in a field experiment. Variations observed in the relative proportions of lines with either all‐tolerant or segregating phenotypic classes depended on glyphosate dosage and stage of plant development at the time of application. Overall, the data suggest that glyphosate application to hemizygous plants shortly before the onset of flowering was lethal to male gametes that do not carry the glyphosate tolerance transgene.

Development and Characterization of a CP4 EPSPS-Based, Glyphosate-Tolerant Corn Event

5-Enol-pyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase from Agrobacterium sp. CP4 (CP4 EPSPS) confers tolerance to the nonselective herbicide glyphosate (marketed under the trade name Roundup11 Roundup Ready and Roundup herbicide are trademarks of the Monsanto Company.) when sufficiently expressed in transgenic plants. Dual CP4 EPSPS transgene cassettes were transformed into corn (Zea mays L.) under the transcriptional regulatory control of the rice (Oryza sativa L.) actin 1 (P-Ract1) and the enhanced Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S (P-e35S) promoters, respectively, to impart fully constitutive expression in corn. Resulting events were tested for lack of chlorosis and malformation injury after two sequential applications of 1.68 kg acid equivalents (a.e.) ha−1 glyphosate. Agronomic parameters, male fertility, appropriate Mendelian segregation of the trait, plus characteristics of the transgenic integration site were also evaluated. From this selection process, the NK603 event was chosen for commercialization as the event that embodied the most optimal profile of tolerance, agronomics, and molecular characteristics. The NK603 event exhibited high glyphosate tolerance from one transgenic locus bearing a single copy of the dual cassettes integrated into the corn genome with a minimum of target sequence disruption. Trait expression in the NK603 event has remained stable over more than eight generations as shown through tolerance testing, western blots of CP4 EPSPS accumulation, and Southern blot analysis of the transgene.

Use of quantitative real-time and conventional PCR to assess the stability of the cp4 epsps transgene from Roundup Ready ® canola in the intestinal, ruminal, and fecal contents of sheep

The stability of transgenic DNA encoding the synthetic cp4 epsps protein in a diet containing Roundup Ready (RR) ® canola meal was determined in duodenal fluid (DF) batch cultures from sheep. A real-time TaqMan ® PCR assay was designed to quantify the degradation of cp4 epsps DNA during incubation in DF at pH 5 or 7. The copy number of cp4 epsps DNA in the diet declined more rapidly ( P < 0.05) in DF at pH 5 as compared to pH 7. The decrease was attributed mainly to microbial activity at pH 7 and perhaps to plant endogenous enzymes at pH 5. The 62-bp fragment of cp4 epsps DNA detected by real-time PCR reached a maximum of approximately 1600 copies in the aqueous phase of DF at pH 7, whereas less than 20 copies were detected during incubations in DF at pH 5. A 1363-bp sequence of cp4 epsps DNA was never detected in the aqueous fraction of DF. Additionally, genomic DNA isolated from RR ® canola seed was used to test the persistence of fragments of free DNA in DF at pH 3.2, 5, and 7, as well as in ruminal fluid and feces. Primers spanning the cp4 epsps DNA coding region amplified sequences ranging in size from 300 to 1363 bp. Free transgenic DNA was least stable in DF at pH 7 where fragments less than 527 bp were detected for up to 2 min and fragments as large as 1363 bp were detected for 0.5 min. This study shows that digestion of plant material and release of transgenic DNA can occur in the ovine small intestine. However, free DNA is rapidly degraded at neutral pH in DF, thus reducing the likelihood that intact transgenic DNA would be available for absorption through the Peyer’s Patches in the distal ileum.