Abstract
AbstractHerbicide tolerance has been the dominant trait introduced during the global commercialization of genetically modified (GM) crops. Herbicide-tolerant crops, especially glyphosate-resistant crops, offer great advantages for weed management; however, despite these benefits, glyphosate-resistant maize (Zea mays L.) has not yet been commercially deployed in China. To develop a new bio-breeding resource for glyphosate-resistant maize, we introduced a codon-optimized glyphosate N-acetyltransferase gene, gat, and the enolpyruvyl-shikimate-3-phosphate synthase gene, gr79-epsps, into the maize variety B104. We selected a genetically stable high glyphosate resistance (GR) transgenic event, designated GG2, from the transgenic maize population through screening with high doses of glyphosate. A molecular analysis demonstrated that single copy of gat and gr79-epsps were integrated into the maize genome, and these two genes were stably transcribed and translated. Field trials showed that the transgenic event GG2 could tolerate 9000 g acid equivalent (a.e.) glyphosate per ha with no effect on phenotype or yield. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis revealed that, shortly after glyphosate application, the glyphosate (PMG) and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) residues in GG2 leaves decreased by more than 90% compared to their levels in HGK60 transgenic plants, which only harbored the epsps gene. Additionally, PMG and its metabolic residues (AMPA and N-acetyl-PMG) were not detected in the silage or seeds of GG2, even when far more than the recommended agricultural dose of glyphosate was applied. The co-expression of gat and gr79-epsps, therefore, confers GG2 with high GR and a low risk of herbicide residue accumulation, making this germplasm a valuable GR event in herbicide-tolerant maize breeding.
Funder
National Transgenic Major Program of China
Nanfan special project
Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation program of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Plant Science,Genetics,Agronomy and Crop Science,Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (miscellaneous),Molecular Biology,Biotechnology
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