Min Jung

Transgenic watermelon rootstock resistant to CGMMV (cucumber green mottle mosaic virus) infection

In watermelon, grafting of seedlings to rootstocks is necessary because watermelon roots are less viable than the rootstock. Moreover, commercially important watermelon varieties require disease-resistant rootstocks to reduce total watermelon yield losses due to infection with viruses such as cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV). Therefore, we undertook to develop a CGMMV-resistant watermelon rootstock using a cDNA encoding the CGMMV coat protein gene (CGMMV-CP), and successfully transformed a watermelon rootstock named ‘gongdae’. The transformation rate was as low as 0.1–0.3%, depending on the transformation method used (ordinary co-culture vs injection, respectively). However, watermelon transformation was reproducibly and reliably achieved using these two methods. Southern blot analysis confirmed that the CGMMV-CP gene was inserted into different locations in the genome either singly or multiple copies. Resistance testing against CGMMV showed that 10 plants among 140 T1 plants were resistant to CGMMV infection. This is the first report of the development by genetic engineering of watermelons resistant to CGMMV infection.

Transgenic peppers that are highly tolerant to a new CMV pathotype.

The CMV (cucumber mosaic virus) is the most frequently occurring virus in chili pepper farms. A variety of peppers that are resistant to CMVP0 were developed in the middle of 1990s through a breeding program, and commercial cultivars have since been able to control the spread of CMVP0. However, a new pathotype (CMVP1) that breaks the resistance of CMVP0-resistant peppers has recently appeared and caused a heavy loss in productivity. Since no genetic source of this new pathotype was available, a traditional breeding method cannot be used to generate a CMVP1-resistant pepper variety. Therefore, we set up a transformation system of pepper using Agrobacterium that had been transfected with the coat protein gene, CMVP0-CP, with the aim of developing a new CMVP1-resistant pepper line. A large number of transgenic peppers (T1, T2 and T3) were screened for CMVP1 tolerance using CMVP1 inoculation. Transgenic peppers tolerant to CMVP1 were selected in a plastic house as well as in the field. Three independent T3 pepper lines highly tolerant to the CMVP1 pathogen were found to also be tolerant to the CMVP0 pathogen. These selected T3 pepper lines were phenotypically identical or close to the non-transformed lines. However, after CMVP1 infection, the height and fruit size of the non-transformed lines became shorter and smaller, respectively, while the T3 pepper lines maintained a normal phenotype.

Detection of transgene in early developmental stage by GFP monitoring enhances the efficiency of genetic transformation of pepper

In order to establish a reliable and highly efficient method for genetic transformation of pepper, a monitoring system featuring GFP (green fluorescent protein) as a report marker was applied to Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. A callus-induced transformation (CIT) system was used to transform the GFP gene. GFP expression was observed in all tissues of T0, T1 and T2 peppers, constituting the first instance in which the whole pepper plant has exhibited GFP fluorescence. A total of 38 T0 peppers were obtained from 4,200 explants. The transformation rate ranged from 0.47 to 1.83% depending on the genotype, which was higher than that obtained by CIT without the GFP monitoring system. This technique could enhance selection power by monitoring GFP expression at the early stage of callus in vitro. The detection of GFP expression in the callus led to successful identification of the shoot that contained the transgene. Thus, this technique saved lots of time and money for conducting the genetic transformation process of pepper. In addition, a co-transformation technique was applied to the target transgene, CaCS (encoding capsaicinoid synthetase of Capsicum) along with GFP. Paprika varieties were transformed by the CaCS::GFP construct, and GFP expression in callus tissues of paprika was monitored to select the right transformant.

GFP expression in the microspore-derived early embryo through co-culturing with Agrobacterium

Agrobacterium 공동배양을 적용하여 소포자에 Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation이 가능한지를 조사하기 위하여 소포자 형질전환에 대한 조건을 구축하고자 하였다. 선발 배지에서 Kanamycin에 대한 소포자의 배발생율을 조사하였는데 Kanamycin 농도 10 mg/L, 50 mg/L, 100 mg/L를 처리하였을 때 배발생율이 각각 4배, 8배, 10배 이하로 감소하였고 Kanamycin이 형질전환 선발마커로 사용할 경우 형질 전환율이 매우 낮아질 것으로 사려 된다. GFP 유전자 발현을 이용하여 visual reporter로서 활용하고자 Agrobacterium과 공동배양 후 배발생 유도 배지에 치상하고 소포자가 배로 발생하는 과정을 현미경으로 조사하면서 GFP 발현을 관찰하였다. 소포자는 배양 12일째서부터 소포자 분열로 cluster를 형성하였으며 24일째에는 반복되는 분열을 통하여 큰 mass의 배로 발달된 모습을 각각 GFP 발현을 통해 볼 수 있었다. 배양48일째도 GFP발현이 계속 보이며 총 8 개의 배에서 GFP 발현 재현성을 보임으로서 형질전환은 된 것으로 보이지만 더 이상 성숙된 배로 자라지 않아 소포자를 이용한 Agrobacterium 형질전환 조건을 더 개선할 필요가 있다. 【The aim of this research is to establish the conditions for Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation using microspore. The embryo induction from the microspore was examined under several Kanamycin concentration in media, and the induction rate decreased about 4, 8, 10 times when the Kanamycin concentration increased 10, 50, 100 mg/L, respectively. This indicates that the transformation rate would be much lower if the Kanamycin was used for selection marker. In order to apply the GFP gene as a reporter gene for Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation, GFP expression from the microspore-mediated embryos was observed using GFP filter under microscope. The GFP expression occurred when the microspore cultured toward the embryo development for 12, 24 and 48 days. The microspore formed a cluster by microspore division from 12 days culture and continuously became a bigger mass. We obtained a total of 8 GFP-expressing embryos suggesting that the transformation of microspore occurred. However, those young embryos were not fully developed. Further study pertinent to culture conditions is required to fulfill the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation using microspore.】Agrobacterium 공동배양을 적용하여 소포자에 Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation이 가능한지를 조사하기 위하여 소포자 형질전환에 대한 조건을 구축하고자 하였다. 선발 배지에서 Kanamycin에 대한 소포자의 배발생율을 조사하였는데 Kanamycin 농도 10 mg/L, 50 mg/L, 100 mg/L를 처리하였을 때 배발생율이 각각 4배, 8배, 10배 이하로 감소하였고 Kanamycin이 형질전환 선발마커로 사용할 경우 형질 전환율이 매우 낮아질 것으로 사려 된다. GFP 유전자 발현을 이용하여 visual reporter로서 활용하고자 Agrobacterium과 공동배양 후 배발생 유도 배지에 치상하고 소포자가 배로 발생하는 과정을 현미경으로 조사하면서 GFP 발현을 관찰하였다. 소포자는 배양 12일째서부터 소포자 분열로 cluster를 형성하였으며 24일째에는 반복되는 분열을 통하여 큰 mass의 배로 발달된 모습을 각각 GFP 발현을 통해 볼 수 있었다. 배양48일째도 GFP발현이 계속 보이며 총 8 개의 배에서 GFP 발현 재현성을 보임으로서 형질전환은 된 것으로 보이지만 더 이상 성숙된 배로 자라지 않아 소포자를 이용한 Agrobacterium 형질전환 조건을 더 개선할 필요가 있다. 【The aim of this research is to establish the conditions for Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation using microspore. The embryo induction from the microspore was examined under several Kanamycin concentration in media, and the induction rate decreased about 4, 8, 10 times when the Kanamycin concentration increased 10, 50, 100 mg/L, respectively. This indicates that the transformation rate would be much lower if the Kanamycin was used for selection marker. In order to apply the GFP gene as a reporter gene for Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation, GFP expression from the microspore-mediated embryos was observed using GFP filter under microscope. The GFP expression occurred when the microspore cultured toward the embryo development for 12, 24 and 48 days. The microspore formed a cluster by microspore division from 12 days culture and continuously became a bigger mass. We obtained a total of 8 GFP-expressing embryos suggesting that the transformation of microspore occurred. However, those young embryos were not fully developed. Further study pertinent to culture conditions is required to fulfill the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation using microspore.】