Transgenic apples display stable gene expression in the fruit and Mendelian segregation of the transgenes in the R1 progeny

Abstract

The transfer of genes via Agrobacterium to a perennial tree crop such as apple, requires monitoring of the stability of the genes in the target tissues such as the fruit and leaves. If the same genes are required for introgression into a conventional breeding programme, their expression also needs to be stable and their inheritance should follow a normal Mendelian pattern. In the following report we show, for the first time, the stable expression and Mendelian segregation of transgenes in a tree species. We have evidence for a 1:1 segregation of the nos and nptll genes among R1 progeny from a transgenic apple parent. In addition, we present evidence for stable gene expression of both nos and the co-transferred gene nptll in the flesh of apple fruit 7 years after the initial transformation.