In vitro transformation of Pseudomonas corrugata by DNA of transgenic tomato plants

• Published in: Journal of plant pathology Vol. 89; no. 3; p. S15
• Main Authors: Cozzolino, L, Gaglione, S, Zoina, A, Raio, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.12.2007
• Subjects: Lycopersicon esculentum; Pseudomonas corrugata
• ISSN: 1125-4653

Occurrence of horizontal gene transfer from plants to soil bacteria has been shown by several studies, but very few studies have been carried out about gene transfer from GM plants to phytopathogenic bacteria. In the last years several analytical protocols have been developed in order to monitor transfer of DNA from transgenic plants to other microorganisms. These procedures are mainly based on the ability of bacteria to take up foreign DNA and integrate it into their genome by homologous recombination. Our preliminary experiments demonstrate that horizontal gene transfer occur, under optimized laboratory conditions, between GM tomato plants and the phytopatogenic bacterium Pseudomonas corrugata. Pseudomonas corrugata (pLaf nptII), carryng a plasmid with a deleted nptII gene, was able to capture DNA extracted from transgenic tomato plants and integrate it by homologous recombination. Restoration of nptII originated kanamycin-resistant transformants, that were detected when transformation was performed using plasmid DNA, plant DNA, and homogenates of tissues of GM plants carrying the functional gene nptII. DNA transfer was not detected when P. corrugata wild type strain (without nptII gene) was used as control.Greenhouse experiments are being planned to verify a possible transformation of P. corrugata by DNA of GM tomato plants in an in vivo interaction.