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Occasional loss of expression of phosphinothricin tolerance in sexual offspring of transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.)

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Abstract

The commercial and economic value of genetically modified crops is determined by a predictable, consistent and stable transmission and expression of the transgenes in successive generations. No gene inactivation is expected after selfings or crosses with non-transformed plants of homozygous transgenic oilseed rape plants if the expression of the transgene in homozygous or hemizygous nature in such plants is stable. The segregation ratios of phosphinothricin (PPT) tolerance in successive generations of selfings and mutual crosses of a few independent transgenic PPT-tolerant oilseed rape plants indicated a dominant, monogenic inheritance. In within-variety and between-variety crosses no transgene inactivation was observed. However, after selfings and backcrosses with non-transgenic oilseed rape infrequent loss of the expression of the PPT tolerance transgene was observed independent from its homozygous or hemizygous nature. Molecular analysis of PPT-susceptible plants showed that the loss of expression was due to gene inactivation and not to the absence of the transgene. Methylation and co-suppression are mechanisms that might cause reduced or even loss of expression of the transgene in later generations. The implications of this observation for seed multiplication of varieties and breeding activities with transgenic oilseed rape are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DLO-Centre for Plant Breeding and Reproduction Research (CPRO-DLO), Department of Molecular Biology, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Peter L.J. Metz & Willem J. Stiekema

  2. Graduate School of Experimental Plant Sciences, Department of Plant Breeding, Wageningen Agricultural University, Lawickse Allee 166, 6709 DB, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Evert Jacobsen

Authors
  1. Peter L.J. Metz
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  2. Evert Jacobsen
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  3. Willem J. Stiekema
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Metz, P.L., Jacobsen, E. & Stiekema, W.J. Occasional loss of expression of phosphinothricin tolerance in sexual offspring of transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). Euphytica 98, 189–196 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003117200129

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