A serine-to-threonine substitution in the triazine herbicide-binding protein in potato cells results in atrazine resistance without impairing productivity

Heteroplasmy and atrazine resistance in Chenopodium album and Senecio vulgaris

Atrazine-resistant weeds are well known, and the resistance is primarily caused by a point mutation in the psbA chloroplast gene encoding the photosystem II D1 protein. Heteroplasmy, the presence of different types of chloroplasts in an individual plant, is also very common. Thus, atrazine-resistant weeds may also partly possess the atrazine-binding sequence and vice versa. The region of the psbA gene containing the mutation was sequenced from atrazine-resistant and atrazine-sensitive Chenopodium album and Senecio vulgaris plants. In atrazine-sensitive C. album plants, the expected AGT triplet was found. The atrazine-resistant plants contained the expected base substitution (AGT to GGT); however, in addition the AGT triplet was found. The atrazine-resistant S. vulgaris plants contained the expected GGT sequence, whereas the atrazine-sensitive plants contained both the AGT and GGT sequences. This clearly indicates that in addition to Gly264 also Ser264 is present in atrazine-resistant plants, and vice versa in atrazine-sensitive plants, indicating heteroplasmy in these weeds.

Rapid bidirectional allele-specific PCR identification for triazine resistance in higher plants

Triazine resistance is reported to be due to chloroplast herbicide target insensitivity in most species, and this is most often caused by a Ser(264)-Gly mutation at the D1 protein. In order to ascertain whether this mutation is really predominant amongst resistant plants, and also for gene flow studies, a rapid test is needed that allows the testing of large quantities of plants. Here a bidirectional allele-specific PCR (polymerase chain reaction) identification is proposed. The designed primers were shown to be universal in the three grass and three broadleaf species examined.

Induced of plastid mutations in soybean plant (Glycine max L. Merrill) with gamma radiation and determination with RAPD

The aim of our study was to induce with radiation of atrazine resistant and tolerated mutants in Coles, Amsoy-71 and 1937 soybean varieties. Atrazine that is photosynthetic inhibitor is the most important herbicide of S-triazin group, and shows toxic effect on soybean plant. For the improvement of the atrazine resistant plants with mutation breeding, the seeds belonging to the three varieties were irradiated with 200 Gy of gamma radiation dose. The irradiated seeds were sown in the field and at the end of harvesting season, every pod at node situated on the main stem was picked up separately and M2 generations were obtained. At the plants, which were obtained from M2 generation, chlorophyll mutants were determined and atrazine selection was made. The percentage of chlorophyll mutants for Amsoy-71, Coles and 1937 soybean varieties were found as 1.07, 1.48 and 1.32, respectively. At the end of atrazine selection, the percentages of atrazine resistant plants for Amsoy-71, Coles and 1937 soybean varieties were 0.80, 0.60 and 0.53, respectively. The percentages of atrazine tolerated plants were 1.07, 1.18 and 1.05, respectively as well. In our research; the differences among the mutants replying to atrazine in various concentrations were examined by using RAPD procedure as the molecular marker techniques in comparison with polymorphism. In the study done by using 14 primers; according to the amplification results, the differences between atrazine resistant plants were shown.

A Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 mutant with a higher tolerance towards bentazone

In this article we describe the partial characterization of a Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 mutant Mu1 with an enhanced resistance towards the herbicide bentazone (3-isopropyl-1H-2,1,3-benzothiadiazine-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide). The mutant was derived from a random mutagenesis with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NSG) and exhibited superior growth rates, pigment content and overall photosynthetic activities under regular growth conditions compared to wild type. Whereas Synechococcus PCC 7942 wild type showed significant photoinhibition, especially in the presence of lincomycin, Mu1 was much more robust. A comparative analysis of the content of several photosynthesis-associated proteins revealed that Mu1 had an increased expression of PsbO on mRNA and protein level and that PsbO is tightly bound to Photosystem II, relative to wild type. This result was substantiated by mass spectrometer measurements of photosynthetic water oxidation revealing a higher stability and integrity of the water oxidizing complex in Mu1 cells grown under regular or calcium deficient conditions. Therefore, our results give rise to the possibility that the overexpression of PsbO in mutant Mu1 confers resistance to reactive oxygen species (ROS) formed as a consequence of bentazone binding to the acceptor side of PS II. In addition, we observed a significantly higher tolerance towards bentazone in iron depleted wild type cells, conditions under which the IdiA protein becomes expressed in highly elevated amounts. As we have previously shown, IdiA preferentially protects the acceptor site of PS II against oxidative stress, especially under iron limitation. Thus, it is likely that IdiA due to its topology interferes with bentazone binding or protects PS II against ROS generated in the presence of bentazone.

Novel psbA1 gene from a naturally occurring atrazine-resistant cyanobacterial isolate

A naturally occurring atrazine-resistant cyanobacterial isolate, strain SG2, was isolated from an atrazine-containing wastewater treatment system at the Syngenta atrazine production facility in St. Gabriel, La. Strain SG2 was resistant to 1,000 microg of atrazine per ml but showed relatively low resistance to diuron [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea]. Analyses of 16S ribosomal DNA indicated that strain SG2 falls into the Synechocystis/Pleurocapsa/Microcystis group. Photosynthetically driven oxygen evolution in strain SG2 was only slightly inhibited (about 10%) by 2,000 microg of atrazine per ml, whereas in the control strain Synechocystis 6803, oxygen evolution was inhibited 90% by 1,000 microg of atrazine per ml. No atrazine accretion, mineralization, or metabolites were detected when strain SG2 was grown with [(14)C]atrazine. Strain SG2 contained three copies of the psbA gene, which encodes the D(1) protein of the photosystem II reaction center. Nucleotide sequence analyses indicated that the psbA2 and psbA3 genes encoded predicted proteins with the same amino acid sequence. However, the psbA1 gene product contained five extra amino acids, which were not found in PsbA proteins from five other cyanobacteria. Moreover, the PsbA1 protein from strain SG2 had an additional 13 amino acid changes compared to the PsbA2/PsbA3 proteins and contained 10 amino acid alterations compared to conserved residues found in other cyanobacteria. Reverse transcriptase PCR analysis indicated that the psbA1 gene and the psbA2/psbA3 gene(s) were expressed in photosynthetically grown cells in the presence of atrazine. These results suggest that strong selection pressure conferred by the continual input of atrazine has contributed to the evolution of a herbicide-resistant, yet photosynthetically efficient, psbA gene in a cyanobacterium.

Food plant-delivered cholera toxin B subunit for vaccination and immunotolerization

Developments in recombinant DNA technology have enabled molecular biologists to introduce a variety of novel genes into plant species for specific purposes. From crop improvement to vaccine antigen and antibody production, plants are attractive bioreactors for production of recombinant proteins, as their eukaryotic nature often permits appropriate post-translational modification of recombinant proteins to retain native biological activity. The autotrophic growth of plants requires only soil minerals, water, nitrogen, sunlight energy and carbon dioxide for the synthesis of constituent proteins. Furthermore, production of biologically active proteins in food plants provides the advantage of direct delivery through consumption of edible transformed plant tissues. The production of cholera toxin B subunit in potato plants and applications for prevention of infectious and autoimmune disease are explained in this contribution.

Molecular characterization of photomixotrophic tobacco cells resistant to protoporphyrinogen oxidase-inhibiting herbicides

Peroxidizing herbicides inhibit protoporphyrinogen oxidase (Protox), the last enzyme of the common branch of the chlorophyll- and heme-synthesis pathways. There are two isoenzymes of Protox, one of which is located in the plastid and the other in the mitochondria. Sequence analysis of the cloned Protox cDNAs showed that the deduced amino acid sequences of plastidial and mitochondrial Protox in wild-type cells and in herbicide-resistant YZI-1S cells are the same. The level of plastidial Protox mRNA was the same in both wild-type and YZI-1S cells, whereas the level of mitochondrial Protox mRNA YZI-1S cells was up to 10 times the level of wild-type cells. Wild-type cells were observed by fluorescence microscopy to emit strong autofluorescence from chlorophyll. Only a weak fluorescence signal was observed from chlorophyll in YZI-1S cells grown in the Protox inhibitor N-(4-chloro-2-fluoro-5-propagyloxy)-phenyl-3,4,5, 6-tetrahydrophthalimide. Staining with DiOC6 showed no visible difference in the number or strength of fluorescence between wild-type and YZI-1S mitochondria. Electron micrography of YZI-1S cells showed that, in contrast to wild-type cells, the chloroplasts of YZI-1S cells grown in the presence of N-(4-chloro-2-fluoro-5-propagyloxy)-phenyl-3,4,5, 6-tetrahydrophthalimide exhibited no grana stacking. These results suggest that the herbicide resistance of YZI-1S cells is due to the overproduction of mitochondrial Protox.