Skip to main content
Log in

The use of transgenic plants to understand transposition mechanisms and to develop transposon tagging strategies

  • Published:
Plant Molecular Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This review compares the activity of the plant transposable elements Ac, Tam3, En/Spm and Mu in heterologous plant species and in their original host. Mutational analysis of the autonomous transposable elements and two-element systems have supplied data that revealed some fundamental properties of the transposition mechanism. Functional parts of Ac and En/Spm were detected by in vitro binding studies of purified transposase protein and have been tested for their importance in the function of these transposable elements in heterologous plant species. Experiments that have been carried out to regulate the activity of the Ac transposable element are in progress and preliminary results have been compiled. Perspectives for manipulated transposable elements in transposon tagging strategies within heterologous plant species are discussed.

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Baker B, Schell J, Lörz H, Fedoroff N: Transposition of the maize controlling element ‘activator’ in tobacco. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 83: 4844–4818 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Baker B, Coupland G, Fedoroff N, Starlinger P, Schell J: Phenotypic assay for excision of the maize controlling element Ac in tobacco. EMBO J 6: 1547–1554 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Barker RF, Thompson DV, Talbot DR, Swanson J, Bennetzen JL: Nucleotide sequence of the maize transposable element Mu1. Nucl Acids Res 12: 5955–5967 (1984).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Belzile F, Lassner MW, Tong Y, Khush R, Yoder JI: Sexual transmission of transposed Activator elements in transgenic tomato. Genetics 123: 181–189 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Brink RA, Williams E: Mutable R-navajo alleles of cyclic origin in maize. Genetics 73: 273–296 (1973).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Chang C, Meyerowitz EM: Molecular cloning and DNA sequence of the Arabidopsis thaliana alcoholdehydrogenase gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 83: 1408–1412 (1986).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Chang C, Bowman JL, DeJohn AW, Lander ES, Meyerowitz EM: Restriction fragment length polymorphism linkage map for Arabidopsis thaliana. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85: 6856–6860 (1988).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Chen J, Greenblatt IM, Dellaporta SL: Transposition of Ac from the P locus of maize into unreplicated chromosomal sites. Genetics 117: 109–116 (1987).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Chomet PS, Wessler S, Dellaporta SL: Inactivation of the maize transposable element Activator (Ac) is associated with its DNA modification. EMBO J 6: 295–302 (1987).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Coen ES, Carpenter R, Martin C: Transposable elements generate novel spatial patterns of gene expression in Antirrhinum majus. Cell 47: 285–296 (1986).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Coen ES, Robbins TP, Almeida J, Hudson A, Carpenter R: Consequences and mechanisms of transposition in Antirrhinum majus. In: Berg DE, Howe MM (eds) Mobile DNA, pp. 413–437. American Society for Microbiology (1989).

  12. Coupland G, Baker B, Schell J, Starlinger P: Characterization of the maize transposable element Ac by internal deletions. EMBO J 7: 3653–3659 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Coupland G, Plum C, Chatterjee S, Post A, Starlinger P: Sequences near the termini are required for transposition of the maize transposon Ac in transgenic tobacco plants. Proc Natl Acad Sci 86: 9385–9388 (1989).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Döring HP: Tagging genes with maize transposable elements. An overview. Maydica 34: 73–88 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Döring HP, Tillmann E, Starlinger P: DNA sequence of the maize transposable element Dissociation. Nature (London) 307: 127–130 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Earp DJ, Lowe B, Baker B: Amplification of genomic sequences flanking transposable elements in hosts and heterologous plants: a tool for transposon tagging and genome characterization. Nucl Acids Res 18: 3271–3279 (1990).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Fedoroff N: Maize transposable elements. In: Berg DE, Howe MM (eds) Mobile DNA, pp. 375–411. American Society for Microbiology (1989).

  18. Fedoroff NV: About maize transposable elements and development. Cell 56: 181–191 (1989).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Finnegan EJ, Taylor BH, Craig S, Dennis ES: Transposable elements can be used to study cell lineages in transgenic plants. Plant Cell 1: 757–764 (1989).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Frey M, Tavantzis SM, Saedler H: The maize En1/Spm element transposes in potato. Mol Gen Genet 217: 172–177 (1989).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Gierl A, Saedler H: The En/Spm transposable element of Zea mays. Plant Mol Biol 13: 261–266 (1989).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Gierl A, Lutticke S, Saedler H: TnpA product encoded by the transposable element En1 of Zea mays is a DNA binding protein. EMBO J 7: 4045–4053 (1988).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Gierl A, Schwarz-Sommer Z, Saedler H: Molecular interaction between the components of the En1 transposable element system of Zea mays. EMBO J 4: 579–583 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Grant SR, Gierl A, Saedler H: En/Spm encoded tnpA protein requires a specific target sequence for suppression. EMBO J 9: 2039–2035 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Greenblatt IM: A chromosome replication pattern deduced from pericarp phenotypes resulting from movements of the transposable element, Modulator, in maize. Genetics 108: 471–485 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Greenblatt IM: The mechanism of modulator transposition in maize. Genetics 58: 585–597 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Haring MA, Gao J, Volbeda T, Rommens CMT, Nijkamp HJJ, Hille J: A comparative study of Tam3 and Ac transposition in transgenic tobacco and petunia plants. Plant Mol Biol 13: 189–201 (1989).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Haring MA, Teeuwen-De Vroomen MJ, Nijkamp HJJ, Hille J: Trans-activation of an artificial dTam3 transposable element in transgenic tobacco plants. Plant Mol Biol, in press.

  29. Hehl R, Baker B: Induced transposition of Ds by a stable Ac in crosses of transgenic tobacco plants. Mol Gen Genet 217: 53–59 (1989).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Hehl R, Baker B: Properties of the maize transposable element Activator in transgenic tobacco plants: a versatile interspecies genetic tool. Plant Cell 2: 709–721 (1990).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Hehl R, Baker B: Towards transposon tagging of the TMV resistance gene N using Activator in transgenic tobacco. Maize Genet Coop Newsletter 64: 3 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Houba-Hérin N, Becker D, Post A, Larondelle, Starlinger P: Excision of a Ds-like maize transposable element (AcΔ) in a transient assay in Petunia is enhanced by a truncated coding region of the transposable element Ac. submitted. 1990.

  33. Izawa T, Miyazaki C, Yamamoto M, Terada R, Iida S, Shimamoto K: Introduction and transposition of the maize transposable element Ac in rice (Oryza sativa L.). submitted.

  34. Jones JDG, Carland F, Lim E, Ralston E, Dooner H: Preferential transposition of the maize element Activator (Ac) to linked chromosomal locations in tobacco. Plant Cell 2: 701–707 (1990).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Jones JDG, Carland F, Harper L, Lim E, Dooner H: Genetic properties of the maize transposon activator (Ac) in tobacco. In: Plant Gene Transfer, UCLA symposium, pp. 59–64. A. Liss, New York (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  36. Jones JDG, Carland FM, Maliga P, Dooner HK: Visual detection of transposition of the maize element Activator (Ac) in tobacco seedlings. Science 244: 204–207 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  37. Knapp S, Coupland G, Uhrig H, Starlinger P, Salamini F: Transposition of the maize transposable element Ac in Solanum tuberosum. Mol Gen Genet 213: 285–290 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  38. Kunze R, Starlinger P: The putative transposase of transposable element Ac from Zea mays L. interacts with subterminal sequences of Ac. EMBO J 8: 3177–3185 (1989).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Kunze R, Starlinger P, Schwartz D: DNA methylation of the maize transposable element Ac interferes with its transcription. Mol Gen Genet 214: 325–327 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  40. Lassner MW, Palys JM, Yoder JI: Genetic transactivation of Dissociation elements in transgenic tomato plants. Mol Gen Genet 218: 25–32 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Li M, Starlinger P: Mutational analysis of the N-terminus of the protein of maize transposable element Ac: Proc Natl Acad Sci USA in press (1990).

  42. Martin CR, Carpenter R, Sommer H, Saedler H, Coen ES: Molecular analysis of instability in flower pigmentation of Antirrhinum majus, following isolation of the pallida locus by transposen tagging. EMBO J 4: 1625–1630 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  43. Martin CR, Prescott A, Lister C, MacKay S: Activity of the transposen Tam3 in Antirrhinum and tobacco: possible role of DNA methylation. EMBO J 8: 997–1004 (1989).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Masson P, Fedoroff N: Mobility of the maize Suppressor-mutator element in transgenic tobacco. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 86: 2219–2223 (1989).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Masterson RV, Furtek DD, Grevelding C, Schell J: A maize Ds transposable element containing a dihydrofolate reductase gene transposes in Nicotiana tabacum and Arabidopsis thaliana. Mol Gen Genet 219: 461–466 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Müller-Neumann M, Yoder JI, Starlinger P: The DNA sequence of the transposable element Ac of Zea mays L. Mol Gen Genet 198: 19–24 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Pereira A, Cuypers H, Gierl A, Schwarz-Sommer Z, Saedler H: Molecular analysis of the En/Spm transposable element system of Zea mays. EMBO J 5: 835–841 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  48. Pereira A, Saedler H: Transpositional behavior of the maize En/Spm element in transgenic tobacco. EMBO J 8: 1315–1321 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  49. Ralton E, English J, Dooner HK: Chromosome-breaking structure in maize involving a fractured Ac element. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 86: 9451–9455.

  50. Schmidt R, Willmitzer L: The maize autonomous element Activator (Ac) shows a minimal germinal excision frequency of 0.2%–0.5% in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Mol Gen Genet 220: 11–24 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Schwartz-Sommer Z, Gierl A, Berntgen R, Saedler H: Sequence comparison of ‘states’ of a1-m-1 suggests a model for Spm(En) action EMBO J 4: 2439–2443 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  52. Schwartz-Sommer Z, Gierl A, Cuypers H, Peterson PA, Saedler H: Plant transposable elements generate the DNA sequence diversity needed in evolution. EMBO J 4: 591–597 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  53. Sommer H, Hehl R, Krebbers E, Piotrowiak R, Nacken W, Eckerhardt-Lomming W, Saedler H: The Tam elements of Antirrhinum majus. In: Nelson O (ed) Plant transposable elements. Basic Life Sciences Vol 47, pp. 227–235. Plenum Press, New York and London (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  54. Spena A, Aalen RB, Schulze SC: Cell-autonomous behavior of the rolC gene of Agrobacterium rhizogenes during leaf development: a visual assay for transposon excision in transgenic plants. Plant Cell 1: 1157–1164 (1989).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Sutton WD, Gerlach WL, Schwartz D, Peacock WJ: Molecular analysis of Ds controlling element mutations at the Adh locus of maize. Science 223: 1265–1268 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  56. Tanksley SD, Young ND, Paterson AH, Bonierbale MW: RFLP mapping in plant breeding: new tools for an old science. Bio/technology 7: 257–264 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  57. Taylor BH, Finnegan EJ, Dennis ES, Peacock WJ: The maize transposable element Ac excises in progeny of transformed tobacco. Plant Mol Biol 13: 109–118 (1989).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Van Sluys MA, Tempé J, Fedoroff N: Studies on the introduction and motility of the maize Activator element in Arabidopsis thaliana and Daucus carota. EMBO J 6: 3881–3889 (1987).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Van Sluys MA, Tempé J: Behavior of the maize transposable element Ac in Daucus carota. Mol Gen Genet 219: 313–319 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  60. Van Tunen AJ, hartman SA, Mur LA, Mol JNM: Regulation of chalcone flavanone isomerase (CHI) gene-expression in Petunia hybrida: the use of alternative promoters in corolla, anthers and pollen. Plant Mol Biol 12: 539–551 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  61. Vodkin LO, Rhodes R, Goldberg RB: A cA lectin gene insertion has a structural feature of a transposable element. Cell 34: 1027–1031 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  62. Wienand U, Sommer H, Schwarz Z, Shepherd N, Saedler H, Kreuzaler F, Ragg H, Fautz E, Hahlbrock K, Harrison BJ, Peterson P: A general method to identify plant structural genes among genomic DNA clones using transposable element induced mutations. Mol Gen Genet 187: 195–201 (1982).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  63. Yoder JI: A genetic analysis of mutations recovered from tomato following Agrobacterium-mediated transformation with the maize transposable elements Activator and Dissociation. Theor Appl Genet 79: 657–662 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. Yoder JI, Palys J, Alpert K, Lassner M: Ac transposition in transgenic tomato plants. Mol Gen Genet 213: 291–296 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  65. Zhang H, Somerville CR: Transfer of the maize transposable element Mul into Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Sci 48: 165–173 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  66. Zhou JH, Atherly AG: In situ detection of transposition of the maize controlling element (Ac) in transgenic soybean tissues. Plant Cell Rep 8: 542–545 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Haring, M.A., Rommens, C.M.T., Nijkamp, H.J.J. et al. The use of transgenic plants to understand transposition mechanisms and to develop transposon tagging strategies. Plant Mol Biol 16, 449–461 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00023995

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00023995

Key words

Navigation