Transfer of methomyl and HmT-toxin sensitivity from T-cytoplasm maize to tobacco

• Published in: Molecular & general genetics Vol. 229; no. 3; p. 405
• Main Authors: Allmen, J.M. von (Cambridge Lab., Norwich (United Kingdom). John Innes Centre), Rottmann, W.H, Gengenbach, B.G, Harvey, A.J, Lonsdale, D.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.10.1991
• Subjects: Base Sequence; Blotting, Southern; CITOPLASMA; CYTOPLASM; Cytoplasm - metabolism; CYTOPLASME; DNA; Drug Resistance - genetics; GENETIC TRANSFORMATION; Kanamycin Resistance - genetics; Light; Maize; METHOMYL; Methomyl - pharmacology; METOMILO; Mitochondrial Proteins; Molecular Sequence Data; Mycotoxins - pharmacology; Nicotiana - drug effects; Nicotiana - genetics; NICOTIANA TABACUM; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plants, Genetically Modified; Plants, Toxic; T-URF13; Tobacco; TOXINAS; TOXINE; TOXINS; Transfection; TRANSFORMACION GENETICA; Transformation; TRANSFORMATION GENETIQUE; ZEA MAYS; Zea mays - drug effects; Zea mays - genetics; Zea mays - growth & development
• ISSN: 0026-8925; 1432-1874
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00267463

The mitochondrial gene, T-urf13, which is unique to the T-cytoplasm of maize, has been expressed in tobacco plants using the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S promoter. Tobacco plants expressing T-urf13 exhibit a variety of responses to methomyl. Leaf discs and petiole sections bleach when exposed to methomyl or HmT-toxin; this effect increases with the age of the tissue. The bleaching effect is not however observed when light is excluded. Plants homozygous for T-urf13 exhibit extreme sensitivity when sprayed with methomyl. The growth of seedling which are either homozygous or heterozygous for T-urf13 is inhibited by methomyl and by kanamycin, whereas seedlings from untransformed tobacco or tobacco which has lost the T-urf13 gene through segregation are sensitive to kanamycin but develop normally when exposed to methomyl. The results demonstrate that T-URF13 need not be specifically targeted to the mitochondrion for it to induce methomyl or HmT-toxin sensitivity in tobacco.