Pollen-mediated flow of bar gene in transgenic herbicide-resistant turf grass Zoysia japonica

• Published in: Plant biotechnology reports Vol. 15; no. 2; pp. 241 - 250
• Main Authors: Kang, Hong-Gyu, Chung, Ok-Chul, Bae, Tae-Woong, Sun, Hyeon-Jin, Song, In-Ja, Park, Kee Woong, Lim, Pyung-Ok, Lee, Jaechun, Lee, Yong-Eok, Song, Pill-Soon, Lee, Hyo-Yeon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Singapore 01.04.2021; Springer Nature B.V; 한국식물생명공학회
• Subjects: Agriculture; Bar gene; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Cell Biology; Environmental factors; Flow rates; Flow velocity; Flowering; Gene flow; Germination; Herbicide resistance; Herbicides; humidity; Life Sciences; longevity; Original Article; Plant Biochemistry; Plant Sciences; Pollen; pollen viability; risk; temperature; transgenes; Transgenic plants; Turf; turf grasses; Viability; Weed control; Wind; Wind direction; Zoysia japonica; 농학; Herbicide-resistant; Turfgrass; Gene flow; Transgenic zoysiagrass
• ISSN: 1863-5466; 1863-5474
• DOI: 10.1007/s11816-021-00667-4

Weed control can be most effectively achieved through the use of herbicide-resistance transgene. A preliminary study bar -transgenic Zoysia japonica posed no serious risk on the unintended escape of the transgene from its cultivation site. The present follow-up investigation of the dispersion of pollen and its short-distance escape outside of the bar -transgenic Zoysia japonica habitats were ascertained in terms of environmental factors affecting anthesis and pollen viability. In a 24-h day cycle, zoysiagrass pollen was released predominantly between 08:00 and 10:00, and the pollen was most viable during the same time interval. Optimal temperature and humidity for pollen viability was 15–20 °C and 80–90%, respectively. The pollen germinated in 120 min after anthesis, but under cloudy conditions germination time doubled. No differences in pollen viability/longevity between the transgenic and non-transgenic plants were observed. The pollen-mediated gene flow of transgenic Zoysia japonica to wild-type non-transgenic zoysiagrass species was monitored by measuring the cross-over rate of the bar gene in the context of three different models. At distances within 5 m, the rate of gene flow ranged from 3 to 5.7% according to the models used. The greater the distance from the transgenic plant site, the lower the gene flow rate. The furthest transgene detected was 38 m away and exhibited a 0.25% gene flow rate. The radial model yielded a 3.7% escape rate within a 3 m radius and was wind direction dependent. The distance- and direction-dependent gene flow events were influenced by wind direction and velocity during flowering season.