Chimaeric PCaMV35Scry genes direct in tobacco mesophyll protoplasts mRNA levels of less than one transcript per cell. We provide evidence that this low cytoplasmic cry IA(b) mRNA level is not due to a rapid turnover but rather results from a marginal import flow of cry messenger into the cytoplasm. Run-on assays indicate that the frequency of transcription initiation is not limiting. However, the cry precursor mRNA carries at least three regions that are recognized as introns. The absence of high cytoplasmic levels of spliced cry mRNAs suggests that these mRNAs are unstable and/or not efficiently made. Point mutations in the 5' splice site of the most distal intron allows high accumulation levels of the full-length mRNA. This implies that the inefficient formation of full-size mRNA is a major cause of the low expression level of chimaeric cry IA(b) genes in tobacco.
6' gentamicin acetyltransferases detoxify aminoglycoside antibiotics containing a 6' amino group. We tested whether a 6' gentamicin acetyltransferase gene (6' gat) of Shigella sp. is suitable as selectable gene in plant transformation using kanamycin (Km) as a substrate. A comparative transformation experiment using Nicotiana tabacum SR1 protoplasts showed that 6' gat is as effective for selection of transformants as the commonly used neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII). In stably transformed plants we detected moderate levels of the 6' gat mRNA. An enzymatic assay was developed with which the acetyltransferase activity of the protein is easily demonstrated.
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