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Organelle evolution meets biotechnology

Nature Biotechnology volume 21, pages 489–490 (2003)Cite this article

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To the editor:

In the April issue, Daniell and Parkinson (Nat. Biotechnol. 21, 374–375, 2003) present a critique of our Nature publication1, which provided an experimental determination of the frequency of transfer of chloroplast DNA to the nucleus in higher plants. In our paper, we demonstrated that a chloroplast transgene moves and integrates into the tobacco nuclear genome at a minimum frequency of one in 16,000 pollen grains. Evidence of many different kinds clearly shows that chloroplast DNA transposes to the nucleus in higher plants. Such DNA is present in very long tracts and is present in multiple copies in the tobacco nuclear genome2,3. Our paper has been the subject of popular press articles and scientific commentaries4,5.

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Figure 1: Plastid DNA integrants in the tobacco nuclear genome extend beyond the transformation vector sequence.

References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia

    Chun Y. Huang

  2. CSIRO Plant Industry, GPO Box 1600, ACT 2601, Australia

    Michael A. Ayliffe

  3. The University of Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia

    Jeremy N. Timmis

Authors
  1. Chun Y. Huang
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  2. Michael A. Ayliffe
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  3. Jeremy N. Timmis
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Huang, C., Ayliffe, M. & Timmis, J. Organelle evolution meets biotechnology. Nat Biotechnol 21, 489–490 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0503-489

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