Characterization and mapping of Ds-GUS-T-DNA lines for targeted insertional mutagenesis

The transposition patterns of the Ds-GUS transposon T-DNA in 23 independent single-copy lines have been characterized and the map positions of 10 of them on three of the five Arabidopsis chromosomes are reported. Using overexpressed Activator (Ac) elements as a transposase source, it was found that the primary determinant of transposition frequency is the insertion site of the Ac-T-DNA. Neither the structure of the transposon T-DNA nor, in most cases, its insertion site have a significant effect on transposition frequency. Both the frequency and timing of transposition are influenced by the parent through which the transposon and transposase T-DNAs are transmitted. Overall, nearly 75% of plants in which excision has occurred bear a reinserted element and very short-range transpositions predominate, underlining the advantage of using mapped transposons for insertional mutagenesis.