[New vector system for induction of gene expression in dicotyledonous plants]

A system of two vectors, pEnLox and pCre. was developed. The pEnLox vector is used to induce insertional mutations, while pCre is used to obtain transgenic plants expressing the Cre recombinase gene. The T-DNA enhancer is flanked by the loxP sites in the pEnLox vector. As an Arahidopsis thaliana insertional mutant obtained by transformation with pEnLox is crossed with another transgenic line carrying the cre gene. the enhancer sequence is eliminated. The vector system makes it possible to induce insertional mutations and to determine whether the mutant phenotype is caused by the loss-of-function insertional mutation or by overespression of nearby genes in response to the enhancer contained in the insert.