[SANET-MG] gene scrambling in plant biotechnology

[jcummins <jcummins@UWO.CA>]

Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology
Volume 2006, Article ID 25376, Pages 1-7
DOI: 10.1155/JBB/2006/25376
The Mutational Consequences of Plant Transformation
Jonathan R. Latham, Allison K. Wilson, and Ricarda A. Steinbrecher

Plant transformation is a genetic engineering tool for introducing 
transgenes into plant genomes. It is now being used for the breeding of 
commercial crops. A central feature of transformation is insertion of 
the transgene into plant chromosomal DNA. Transgene insertion is 
infrequently, if ever, a precise event. Mutations found at transgene 
insertion sites include deletions and rearrangements of host chromosomal 
DNA and introduction of superfluous DNA. Insertion sites introduced 
using Agrobacterium tumefaciens tend to have simpler structures but can 
be associated with extensive chromosomal rearrangements, while those of 
particle bombardment appear invariably to be associated with deletion 
and extensive scrambling of inserted and chromosomal DNA. Ancillary 
procedures associated with plant transformation, including tissue 
culture and infection with A tumefaciens, can also introduce mutations. 
These genome-wide mutations can number from hundreds to many thousands 
per diploid genome. Despite the fact that confidence in the safety and 
dependability of crop species rests significantly on their genetic 
integrity, the frequency of transformation-induced mutations and their 
importance as potential biosafety hazards are poorly understood.



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