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PMI (manA) as a nonantibiotic selectable marker gene in plant biotechnology

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Abstract

Due to the rising public concern over the use of genes conferring antibiotic and herbicide resistance, alternative systems for selection after plant transformation are being developed. A positive selection system consists of a physiologically inert metabolite as the selection agent and a respective gene which determines a metabolic advantage via selection agent utilization. The transformed cells are able to overcome the suppressive effects of the selection, while the untransformed ones starve but are not killed. The enzyme phosphomannose isomerase (PMI, E.C. 5.3.1.8) catalyzes the reversible interconversion of mannose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. The PMI selection system is called positive due to the effect of “starvation” caused to the nontransformed plant tissue because of its incapability to utilize mannose as a carbon source. In this mini-review we researched the literature to obtain a more detailed view of the characteristics, specifics, problems, and advantages of applying the PMI/mannose selection system.

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Abbreviations

Man:

Mannose

M-6-P:

Mannose-6-phosphate

PMI:

Phosphomannose isomerase

TE:

Transformation efficiency

ATP:

Adenosine triphosphate

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. AgroBioInstitute, 8 Dragan Tzankov Blvd, 1164, Sofia, Bulgaria

    P. Stoykova

  2. Department of Biology, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC, 29732, USA

    P. Stoeva-Popova

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  1. P. Stoykova
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  2. P. Stoeva-Popova
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Correspondence to P. Stoykova.

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Stoykova, P., Stoeva-Popova, P. PMI (manA) as a nonantibiotic selectable marker gene in plant biotechnology. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 105, 141–148 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-010-9858-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-010-9858-6

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