Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Selective agents and marker genes for use in transformation of monocotyledonous plants

  • Reviews
  • Published:
Plant Molecular Biology Reporter Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Even the most successful transformation systems for monocotyledonous plants have a very low efficiency. To overcome this, the selection system is of utmost importance. Established selection systems based on kanamycin resistance are not generally applicable for monocotyledonous plants because monocot cells and tissues are relatively insensitive to kanamycin. Selection can be improved by using other antibiotics or herbicides and their respective resistance genes, which can lead to a substantial reduction in the number of untransformed regenerants. In choosing a selection system the resistance mechanism, either detoxification of the selective agent or modification of the target enzyme, should also be taken into account. Detoxification of the selective agent by expression of a modifying enzyme in transformed cells can enable untrasformed cells to escape. This does not happen when resistance is based on the production of a modified target enzyme. By use of vectors specifically designed for high expression in monocots, the level of resistance in transformed cells and tissues can be enhanced, resulting in an increased efficiency of selection. This paper presents an overview of the various antibiotics and herbicides available and the application of the related resistance genes to improve transformation of monocots.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

AAC(3′):

gentamycin 3-N-acetyltransferase

ALS:

acetolactate synthase

APH (3′)II:

aminoglycoside 3′-phosphotransferase II, also called NPTII, neomycin phosphotransferase II

APH (4′) or HPT:

hygromycin phosphotransferase

CS:

chloruslfuron

EPSP:

5-enolpyruvyl-shikimate-3-phosphate

EPSPS:

5-enolpyruvyl-shikimate-3-phosphate synthase

G418:

geneticin

GS:

glutamine synthase

PAT:

phosphinothricin-N-acetyltranferase

PPT:

phosphinothricin

References

  • Battraw, M., and T.C. Hall. 1992. Expression of a chimeric neomycin phosphotransferase II gene in first and second generation transgenic rice plants. Plant Science 86:191–202.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Benfey, P.N., and N.H. Chua. 1990. The cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter: Combinatorial regulation of transcription in plants. Science 250:959–966.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bevan, M.W., R.B. Flavell, and M.-D. Chilton. 1983. A chimaeric antibiotic resistance marker gene as a selectable marker for plant cell transformation. Nature 304:184–187.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Botterman, J., and J. Leemans. 1988. Engineering herbicide resistance in plants. TIG 4:219–222.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bower, R., and R.G. Birch. 1992. Transgenic sugarcane plants via microprojectile bombardment. Plant J. 2:409–416.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brasileiro, A.C.M., C. Tourneur C., J.C. Leplé, V. Combes, and L. Jouanin. 1992. Expression of the mutantArabidopsis thaliana acetolactate synthase gene confers chlorsulfuron resistance to transgenic poplar plants. Transgenic Research 1:133–141.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Callis, J., M. Fromm, and V. Walbot. 1987. Introns increase gene expression in cultured maize cells. Genes Develop. 1:1183–1200.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cao, J., X. Dyan, D. McElroy, and R. Wu. 1992. Regeneration of herbicide resistant transgenic rice plants following microprojectile-mediated transformation of suspension culture cells. Plant Cell Rep. 11:586–591.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carrer, H., J.M. Staub, and P. Maliga. 1991. Gentamycin resistance inNicotiana conferred by AAC(3)-I, a narrow substrate specificity acetyltransferase. Plant Mol. Biol. 17:301–303.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, A.Y., L. Bogorad, M. Van Montagu, and J. Schell. 1988. Relocating a gene for herbicide tolerance: a chloroplast gene is converted into a nuclear gene. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85:391–395.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Christou, P., D.E. McCabe, and W.F. Swain. 1988. Stable transformation of soybean callus by DNA-coated gold particles. Plant Physiol. 87:671–674.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Christou, P., T.L. Ford, and M. Kofron. 1991. Production of transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants from agronomically important indica, and japonica varieties via electric discharge particle acceleration of exogenous DNA into immature zygotic embryos. Bio/Technology 9:957–962.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Comai, L., D. Facciotti, W.R. Hiatt, G. Thompson, R.E. Rose, and D.M. Stalker. 1985. Expression in plants of a mutantaroA gene fromSalmonella typhimurium confers tolerance to glyphosate. Nature 317:741–744.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Comai, L., and D. Stalker D. 1986. Mechanism of action of herbicides and their molecular manipulation. Oxford Surveys of Plant Molecular & Cell Biology 3:166–195.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Comai, L., N. Larson-Kelly, J. Kiser, J.D. Mauss, A.R. Pokalsky, C.K. Shewmaker, K. McBride, A. Jones, and D.M. Stalker. 1988. Chloroplast transport of a ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase small subunit-5-enolpyruvyl 3-phosphoshikimate synthase chimeric protein requires part of the mature small subunit in addition to the transit peptide. The J. Biol. Chem. 263:15104–15109.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Comai, L., N. Larson-Kelly, J. Kiser, A. Jones, D.M. Stalker, P. Moran, K. Kiehne, and A. Koning. 1989. Genetic engineering of plants for herbicide resistance. Expression of an RuBP carboxylase small subunit-EPSP synthase chimeric gene, chloroplast transport of the hybrid protein, and tolerance phenotype in transgenic plants. Vortr. Pflanzenzüchtg. 16:441–454.

    Google Scholar 

  • Datta, S.K., A. Peterhans, K. Datta, and I. Potrykus. 1990. Genetically engineered fertile indica-rice recovered from protoplasts. Bio/Technology 8:736–740.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Datta, S.K., K. Datta, N. Soltanifar, G. Donn, and I. Potrykus. 1992. Herbicide resistant indica rice plants from IRRI breeding line ER72 after PEG-mediated transformation of protoplasts. 1992. Plant Mol. Biol. 20:619–629.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Block, M., J. Botterman, M. Vandewiele, J. Dockx, C. Thoen, V. Gossele, N. Rao Movva, C. Thompson, M. Van Montagu, and J. Leemans. 1987. Engineering herbicide resistance in plants by expression of a detoxifying enzyme. EMBO J. 6:2513–2518.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Greef, W., R. Delon, M. De Block, J. Leemans, and J. Botterman. 1989. Evaluation of herbicide resistance in transgenic crops under field conditions. Bio/Technology 7:61–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Della-Cioppa, G., S.C. Bauer, M.L. Taylor, D.E. Rochester, B.K. Klein, D.M. Shah, R.T. Fraley, and G.M. Kishore. 1987. Targeting a herbicide-resistant enzyme fromEscherichia coli to chloroplasts of higher plants. Bio/Technology 5:579–584.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dekeyser, R., B. Claes, M. Marichal, M. Van Montagu, and A. Caplan. 1989. Evaluation of Selectable markers for rice transformation. Plant Physiol. 90:217–223.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • D'Halluin, K., M. Bossut, E. Bonne, B. Mazur, J. Leemans, and J. Botterman. 1992. Transformation of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) and evaluation of herbicide resistance in transgenic plants. 1992. Bio/Technology 10:309–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eichholtz, D.A., S.G. Rogers, R.B. Horsch, H.J. Klee, M. Hayford, N.L. Hoffmann, S.B. Braford, C. Fink, J. Flick, K.M. O'Connell, and R.T. Fraley. 1987. Expression of a mouse dihydrofolate gene confers methotrexate resistance in transgenic petunia plants. Somatic Cell Mol. Genet. 13:67–76.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Escandón, A.S., and G. Hahne. 1991. Genotype and composition of culture medium are factors important in the selection of transformed sunflower (Helianthus annuus) callus. Physiol. Plant. 81:367–376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fraley R.T., S.G. Rogers, R.B. Horsch, P.R. Sanders, J.S. Flick, S.P. Adams, M.L. Bittner, L.A. Brand, C.L. Fink, J.S. Fry, G.R. Galluppi, S.B. Goldberg, N.L. Hoffmann, and S.C. Woo. 1983. Expression of bacterial genes in Plant cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 80:4803–4807.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fromm, M.E., F. Morrish, C. Armstrong, R. Williams, J. Thomas, and T.M. Klein. 1990. Inheritance and expression of chimeric genes in the progeny of transgenic maize plants. Bio/Technology 8:833–839.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon-Kamm, W., T. Spencer, M.L. Mangano, T.R. Adams, R.J. Daines, W.G. Tart, J.V. O'Brien, S.A. Chambers, W.R. Adams, N.G. Willetts, T.B. Rice, C.J. Mackey, R.W. Krueger, A.P. Kausch, and P.G. Lemaux. 1990. Transformation of maize cells and regeneration of fertile transgenic plants. Plant Cell 2:603–618.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haughn, G.W., J. Smith, B. Mazur, and C. Somerville. 1988. Transformation with a mutantArabidopsis acetolactate synthase gene renders tobacco resistant to sulfonylurea herbicides. Mol. Gen. Genet. 211:266–271.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hauptmann, R.M., V. Vasil, P. Ozias-Akins, Z. Tabaeizadeh, S.G. Rogers, R.T. Fraley, R.B. Horsch, and I.K. Vasil. 1988. Evaluation of selectable markers for obtaining stable transformants in the Gramineae. Plant Physiol. 86:602–606.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hayford, M.B., J.I. Medford, N.L. Hoffman, S.G. Rogers, and H.J. Klee. 1988. Development of a plant transformation selection system based on expression of genes encoding gentamycin acetyltransferases. Plant Physiol. 86:1216–1222.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hille, J., F. Verheggen, P. Roelvink, H. Franssen, A. van Kammen, and P. Zabel. 1986. Bleomycin resistance: a new dominant selectable marker for Plant cell transformation. Plant Mol. Biol. 7:171–176.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hinchee, M.A.W., D.V. Connor-Ward, C. Newell, R.E. McDonnell, S.J. Sato, C.S. Gasser, D.A. Fischhoff, D.B. Re, R.T. Fraley, and R.B. Horsch. 1988. Production of transgenic soybean plants usingAgrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer. Bio/Technology 6:915–922.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hinchee, M.A.W., J.E. Fry, P.R. Sanders, C.L. Armstrong, W.L. Petersen, D.D., Songstad, N.L. Mathis, Y.M. Muskopf, A.R. Barnason, J.G. Layton, D.R. Corbin, D.V. Connor-Ward, and R.B. Horsch, 1991. Experimental gene transfer systems for plants. Proc. ISPMB Congress Tucson, USA, abstr. 63.

  • Horn, M.E., R.D. Shillito, B.V. Conger, and C.T. Harms. 1988. Transgenic plants of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) from protoplasts. Plant Cell Rep. 7:469–472.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klein, T.M., E.C. Harper, Z. Svab, J.C. Sanford, M.E. Fromm, and P. Maliga. 1988. Stable genetic transformation of intactNicotiana cells by the particle bombardment process. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA. 85:8502–8505.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klee, H., R. Horsch, and S. Rogers. 1987Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation and its further applications to plant biology. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 38:467–486.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kors, F.T.M. 1991.Antibiotics, mode of action, spectrum, resistance, solubility, sterilization, stability. Haarlem: Duchefa Biochemicals B.V.

    Google Scholar 

  • Last, D.I., R.I.S. Brettell, D.A. Chamberlain, A.M. Chaudhury, P.J. Larkin, E.L. Marsh, W.J. Peacock, and E.S. Dennis. 1991. pEmu: An improved promoter for gene expression in cereal cells. Theoret. Appl. Genet. 81:581–588.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Z., Q. Xie, R.C. Rush, and N. Murai. 1992a. Fertile transgenic rice plants generated via protoplasts from the U.S. cultivar Labelle. Crop Sci. 32:810–814.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Z., A. Hayashimoto, and N. Murai. 1992b. A sulfonylurea herbicide resistance gene fromArabidopsis thaliana as a new selectable marker for production of fertile transgenic rice plants. Plant Physiol. 100:662–668.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luehrsen, K.R., and V. Walbot V. 1991. Intron enhancement of gene expression and the splicing efficiency of introns in maize cells. Mol. Gen. Genet. 225:81–93.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maas, C., J. Laufs, S. Grant, C. Korfhage, and W. Werr. 1991. The combination of a novel stimulatory element in the first exon of the maizeShrunken-1 gene with the following intron 1 enhances reporter gene expression up to 1000-fold. Plant Mol. Biol. 16:199–207.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maas, C., J. Schell, and H.H. Steinbiss. 1992. Applications of an optimized monocot expression vector in studying transient gene expression and stable transformation of barley. Physiol. Plant. 85:367–373.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McElroy, D., W. Zhang, J. Cao, and R. Wu. 1990. Isolation of an efficient actin promoter for use in rice transformation. Plant Cell 2:163–171.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McElroy, D., A.D. Blowers, B. Jenes, and R. Wu. 1991. Construction of expression vectors based on the rice actin 1 (Actl) 5′ region for use in monocot transformation. Mol. Gen. Genet 231:150–160.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meijer, E.G.M., R.A. Schilperoort, S. Rueb, P.E. van Os-Ruygrok, and L.A.M. Hensgens. 1991. Transgenic rice cell lines and plants: expression of transferred chimeric genes. Plant Mol. Biol. 16:807–820.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murakami, T., H. Anzai, S. Imai, A. Satoh, D. Nagaoka, and C.J. Thompson. 1986. The bialaphos biosynthetic genes ofStreptomyces hygroscopicus: molecular cloning and characterization of the gene cluster. Mol. Gen. Genet. 205:42–50.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nap, J.P., J. Bijvoet, and W. Stiekema, 1992. Biosafety of kanamycin-resistant transgenic plants. Transgenic Research 1:239–249.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peng, J., H. Kononowicz, and T.K. Hodges. 1992. Transgenic indica rice plants. Theor. Appl. Genet. 83:855–863.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peterhans, A., S.K. Datta, K. Datta, G.J. Goodall, I. Potrykus, and J. Paszkowski. 1990. Recognition efficiency ofDicotyledoneae-specific promoter and RNA processing signals in rice. Mol. Gen. Genet. 222:361–368.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Potrykus, I., M.W. Saul, J. Petruska, J. Paszkowski, and R.D. Shillito. 1985. Direct gene transfer to cells of a graminaceous monocot. Mol. Gen. Genet. 199:183–188.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pua, E.C., A. Mehra-Palta, F. Nagy, and N.H. Chua. 1987. Transgenic plants ofBrassica napus. Bio/Technology 5:815–817.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shah, D.M., R.B. Horsch, H.J. Klee, G.M. Kishore, J.A. Winter, N.E. Tumer N.E., C.M. Hironaka, P.R. Sanders, C.S. Gasser, S. Aykent, N.R. Siegel, S.G. Rogers, and R.T. Fraley. 1986a. Engineering herbicide tolerance in transgenic plants. Science, 233: 478–481.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shah D.M., C.M. Hironaka, R.C. Wiegand, E.I. Harding, G.G. Krivi, and D.C. Tiemeier. 1986b. Structural analysis of a maize gene coding for glutathione-S-transferase involved in herbicide detoxification. Plant Mol. Biol. 6:203–211.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shimamoto, K., T. Izawa, and H. Fujimoto. 1989 Fertile transgenic rice plants generated from transformed protoplasts. Nature 338:274–277.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shelp, B.J., C.J. Swanton, and J.C. Hall. 1992. Glufosinate (phosphinothricin) mobility in young soybean shoots. J. Plant Physiol. 139:626–628.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Somers, D.A., H.W. Rines, W. Gu, H.F. Kaeppler, and W.R. Bushnell. 1992. Fertile, transgenic oat plants. Bio/Technology 10:1589–1594.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spencer, T.M., W.J. Gordon-Kamm, R.J. Daines, W.G. Start, and P.G. Lemaux. 1991. Bialaphos selection of stable transformants from maize cell culture. Theor. Appl. Genet. 79:625–631.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spencer, T.M., J.V. O'Brien, W.G. Start, T.R. Adams, W.J. Gordon-Kamm, and P.G. Lemaux. 1992. Segregation of transgenes in maize. Plant Mol. Biol. 18:201–210.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stalker, D.M., K.E. McBride, and L.D. Malyj. 1988. Herbicide resistance in transgenic plants expressing a bacterial detoxification gene. Science 242:419–422.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Streber, W.R., and L. Willmitzer. 1989. Transgenic tobacco plants expressing a bacterial detoxifying enzyme are resistant to 2,4-D. Bio/Technology 7:811–816.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tachibana, K., T. Watanabe, Y. Sekizawa, and T. Takematsu. 1986a. Inhibition of glutamine synthetase and quantitative changes of free amino acids in shoots of bialaphos-treated Japanese barnyard millet. J. Pesticide Sci. 11:27–31.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tachibana, K., T. Watanabe, Y. Sekizawa, and T. Takematsu. 1986b. Accumulation of ammonia in plants treated with bialaphos. J. Pesticide Sci. 11:33–37.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, C.J., N. Rao Movva, R. Tizard, R. Crameri, J.E. Davies, M. Lauwereys and J. Botterman. 1987. Characterization of the herbicide-resistant bar gene fromStreptomyces hygroscopicus. EMBO J. 6:2519–2523.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Toriyama, K., Y. Arimoto, H. Uchimiya, and K. Hinata. 1988. Transgenic rice plants after direct gene transfer into protoplasts. Bio/Technology 6:10721074.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van den Elzen, P.J.M., J. Townsend, K.Y. Lee, and J.R.A. Bedbrook. 1985. Chimaeric hygromycin resistance gene as a selectable marker in Plant cells. Plant Mol. Biol. 5:299–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vasil, V., M. Clancy, R. Ferl, I.K. Vasil, and L.C. Hannah. 1989. Increased gene expression by the first intron of maizeshrunken-l locus in grass species. Plant Physiol. 91:1575–1579.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vasil, V., S.M. Brown, D. Re, M.E. Fromm, and I.K. Vasil. 1991. Stably transformed callus lines from microprojectile bombardment of cell suspension cultures of wheat. Bio/Technology 9:743–747.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vasil, V., A.M. Castillo, M.E. Fromm, and I.K. Vasil. 1992. Herbicide-resistant fertile transgenic wheat plants obtained by microprojectile bombardment of regenerable embryogenic callus. Bio/Technology 10:667–674.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Waldron, C., E.B. Murphy, J.L. Roberts, G.D. Gustafson, S.L. Armour, and S.K. Malcolm. 1985. Resistance to hygromycin B, a new marker for plant transformation studies. Plant Mol. Biol. 5:103–108.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Walters, D.A., C.S. Vetsch, D.E. Potts, and R.C. Lundquist. 1992. Transformation and inheritance of a hygromycin phosphotransferase gene in maize plants. Plant Mol. Biol. 18:189–200.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weide, R., M. Koornneef, and P.A. Zabel. 1989. Simple, nondestructive spraying assay for the detection of an active kanamycin resistance gene in transgenic tomato plants. Theor. Appl Genet. 78:169–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wohlleben, W., W. Arnold, I. Broer, D. Hillemann, E. Strauch, and A. Pühler. 1988. Nucleotide sequence of the phosphinothricin-N-acetyl-transferase gene fromStreptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494 and its expression inNicotiana tabacum. Gene 70:25–37.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, H.M., H. Yang, E.L. Rech, T.J. Golds, A.S. Davis, B.J. Mulligan, E.C. Cocking, and M.R. Davey. 1988. Transgenic rice plants produced by electroporation-mediated plasmid uptake into protoplasts. Plant Cell Rep. 7:379–384.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, W., D. McElroy, and R. Wu. 1991. Analysis of RiceAct1 5′ region activity in transgenic rice plants. Plant Cell 3:1155–1166.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Development Biology, Centre for Plant Breeding and Reproduction Research (CPRO-DLO), PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    A. Wilmink & J. J. M. Dons

Authors
  1. A. Wilmink
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. J. M. Dons
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wilmink, A., Dons, J.J.M. Selective agents and marker genes for use in transformation of monocotyledonous plants. Plant Mol Biol Rep 11, 165–185 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02670474

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02670474

Key Words

Search

Navigation