We tested a synthetic bacterio-opsin (bO) gene derived from Halobacterium halobium for its effect on disease resistance in transgenic poplar hybrids, and assessed a genetic system for controlling expression of this gene. In tobacco the bO gene caused necrotic lesions similar to an induced hypersensitive response (HR), increased levels of...
We isolated and characterized the expression of two genes from Populus
trichocarpa that are homologous to the TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1) gene from
the model annual plant Arabidopsis. In Arabidopsis, overexpression of the TFL1
gene extends the vegetative growth phase, and the homozygous mutant tfl1 allele
causes early flowering and...
Overexpression of the bacterio-opsin (bO) gene in tobacco had previously been shown to induce hypersensitiveresponse- like lesions, increase viral and bacterial disease resistance, and stimulate pathogenesis-related gene expression. To see if this gene enhanced resistance to fungal pathogens of poplar, we generated a total of 35 transgenic lines in two...
To reduce the environmental impacts caused by gene flow from transgenic trees, reproductive sterility genes have been developed that use a floral regulatory element linked to a cell toxin. This results in dysfunction or ablation of floral tissues, causing sterility. However, floral promoters often permit low levels of expression in...
An impediment to use of exotic and bioengineered trees in many places is their propensity for spread by pollen and/or seeds. Our laboratory has been using gene editing to induce mutations in floral genes as means to impart stable and reliable genetic containment when this is desirable from social (markets,...