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Structure of the natural transgene PgiC2 in the common grass Festuca ovina

Vallenback, Pernilla LU ; Ghatnekar, Lena LU and Bengtsson, Bengt Olle LU (2010) In PLoS ONE 5(10). p.1-4
Abstract
BACKGROUND: A horizontal gene transfer has brought an active nuclear gene, PgiC2, from a polyploid Poa species (P. palustris or a close relative) into the common grass sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina). The donor and the receptor species are strictly reproductively separated, and PgiC2 occurs in a polymorphic state within F. ovina. The active gene copy is normally closely linked to a very similar pseudogene. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: By genome walking we have obtained the up- and downstream sequences of PgiC2 and of corresponding genes in the donor and recipient species. Comparisons of these sequences show that the complete upstream region necessary for the gene's expression is included in the transferred segment. About 1 kb upstream of... (More)
BACKGROUND: A horizontal gene transfer has brought an active nuclear gene, PgiC2, from a polyploid Poa species (P. palustris or a close relative) into the common grass sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina). The donor and the receptor species are strictly reproductively separated, and PgiC2 occurs in a polymorphic state within F. ovina. The active gene copy is normally closely linked to a very similar pseudogene. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: By genome walking we have obtained the up- and downstream sequences of PgiC2 and of corresponding genes in the donor and recipient species. Comparisons of these sequences show that the complete upstream region necessary for the gene's expression is included in the transferred segment. About 1 kb upstream of PgiC2 a fragment with transposition associated properties has been found (TAF). It is present in P. palustris and its polyploid relatives, though not at the homologous position, and is absent from many other grasses, including non-transgenic F. ovina plants. It is possible that it is a part of a transposing element involved in getting the gene into a transferring agent and/or into the recipient chromosome. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The close similarity of the up- and downstream regions with the corresponding regions in P. palustris excludes all suggestions that PgiC2 is not a HGT but the result of a duplication within the F. ovina lineage. The small size of the genetic material transferred, the complex nature of the PgiC2 locus, and the associated fragment with transposition associated properties suggest that the horizontal transfer occurred via a vector and not via illegitimate pollination. (Less)
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organization
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
horizontal gene transfer, transgene, Poa palustris, PgiC2, Festuca ovina
in
PLoS ONE
volume
5
issue
10
pages
1 - 4
publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
external identifiers
  • pmid:20976007
  • wos:000283216400029
  • scopus:78149463524
  • pmid:20976007
ISSN
1932-6203
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0013529
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
228e531f-ef51-419c-9ff3-4d5a258ce29d (old id 1713982)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:31:28
date last changed
2022-03-06 06:16:20
@article{228e531f-ef51-419c-9ff3-4d5a258ce29d,
  abstract     = {{BACKGROUND: A horizontal gene transfer has brought an active nuclear gene, PgiC2, from a polyploid Poa species (P. palustris or a close relative) into the common grass sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina). The donor and the receptor species are strictly reproductively separated, and PgiC2 occurs in a polymorphic state within F. ovina. The active gene copy is normally closely linked to a very similar pseudogene. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: By genome walking we have obtained the up- and downstream sequences of PgiC2 and of corresponding genes in the donor and recipient species. Comparisons of these sequences show that the complete upstream region necessary for the gene's expression is included in the transferred segment. About 1 kb upstream of PgiC2 a fragment with transposition associated properties has been found (TAF). It is present in P. palustris and its polyploid relatives, though not at the homologous position, and is absent from many other grasses, including non-transgenic F. ovina plants. It is possible that it is a part of a transposing element involved in getting the gene into a transferring agent and/or into the recipient chromosome. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The close similarity of the up- and downstream regions with the corresponding regions in P. palustris excludes all suggestions that PgiC2 is not a HGT but the result of a duplication within the F. ovina lineage. The small size of the genetic material transferred, the complex nature of the PgiC2 locus, and the associated fragment with transposition associated properties suggest that the horizontal transfer occurred via a vector and not via illegitimate pollination.}},
  author       = {{Vallenback, Pernilla and Ghatnekar, Lena and Bengtsson, Bengt Olle}},
  issn         = {{1932-6203}},
  keywords     = {{horizontal gene transfer; transgene; Poa palustris; PgiC2; Festuca ovina}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{10}},
  pages        = {{1--4}},
  publisher    = {{Public Library of Science (PLoS)}},
  series       = {{PLoS ONE}},
  title        = {{Structure of the natural transgene PgiC2 in the common grass Festuca ovina}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0013529}},
  doi          = {{10.1371/journal.pone.0013529}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}