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. 1988 Apr;86(4):1216–1222. doi: 10.1104/pp.86.4.1216

Development of a Plant Transformation Selection System Based on Expression of Genes Encoding Gentamicin Acetyltransferases

Maria B Hayford 1, June I Medford 1, Nancy L Hoffman 1, Stephen G Rogers 1, Harry J Klee 1
PMCID: PMC1054654  PMID: 16666057

Abstract

The development of selectable markers for transformation has been a major factor in the successful genetic manipulation of plants. A new selectable marker system has been developed based on bacterial gentamicin-3-N-acetyltransferases [AAC(3)]. These enzymes inactivate aminoglycoside antibiotics by acetylation. Two examples of AAC(3) enzymes have been manipulated to be expressed in plants. Chimeric AAC(3)-III and AAC(3)-IV genes were assembled using the constitutively expressed cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and the nopaline synthase 3′ nontranslated region. These chimeric genes were engineered into vectors for Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation. Petunia hybrida and Arabidopsis thaliana tissue transformed with these vectors grew in the presence of normally lethal levels of gentamicin. The transformed nature of regenerated Arabidopsis plants was confirmed by DNA hybridization analysis and inheritance of the selectable phenotype in progeny. The chimeric AAC(3)-IV gene has also been used to select transformants in several additional plant species. These results show that the bacterial AAC(3) genes will serve as useful selectable markers in plant tissue culture.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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