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Floral-Dip Transformation of Flax Linum usitatissimum to Generate Transgenic Progenies with a High Transformation Rate
Published on: December 19, 2014
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Developing a transposon tagging system to isolate rust-resistance genes from flax.
J G Ellis1, E J Finnegan, G J Lawrence
1Division of Plant Industry, CSIRO, GPO Box 1600, ACT 2601, Canberra, Australia.
Summary
Maize transposable elements Ac and Ds were introduced into flax to tag rust resistance genes. Transposition was low in flax, but one family showed potential for transposon tagging of resistance genes.
Area of Science:
- Plant genetics
- Molecular biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Flax rust resistance is controlled by multiple genes.
- Transposable elements offer a method for gene tagging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the frequency of maize Ac and Ds transposable elements in flax.
- To determine the potential for transposon tagging of flax rust resistance genes.
Main Methods:
- Transformation of flax with Ac and Ds elements.
- Analysis of transposition frequency in callus and plant tissues.
- Expression of Ac transposase from a cDNA copy.
- Segregation analysis of transposed elements in progeny.
Main Results:
- Transposition frequency in flax was lower than in other hosts.
- Modifications to the Ac transposase gene increased transposition in callus.
- Transactivation of Ds excision was achieved.
- One flax family with multiple Ac copies showed transposition in progeny.
- An active Ac element was mapped near a rust resistance gene.
Conclusions:
- Transposon tagging in flax is challenging due to low transposition rates.
- Specific flax families may be useful for resistance gene tagging programs.
- Further research is needed to optimize transposon activity in flax.
