AI Article Synopsis
- Researchers found that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events occurred in grafted cotton plants after removing the first axillary bud, allowing for direct observation of these transfers.
- The second axillary shoots displayed noticeable differences in flower and seed traits, suggesting development from graft site cells.
- Unlike previous studies with stable inheritance of HGT traits, this study showed traits that did not remain consistent across three generations, potentially offering new insights for plant breeding and HGT research.
Article Abstract
Plant mitochondrial and chloroplast genes that underwent horizontal transfer have been identified by parasite and grafting systems, respectively. Here, we directly observed 3 horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events in the 45 second axillary shoots of grafted cotton plants (Gossypium barbadense and Gossypium hirsutum) after extirpating the first axillary bud. The second axillary shoots showed phenotypic variations in cotton flowers and seeds that were evidence of spontaneous development from cells in the grafting site. As the progeny segregated and did not show stable inheritance across 3 generations, inheritance of traits in our study differed from the stable heredity of HGT plants in previous studies. In those studies, plants were artificially regenerated from the graft junctions, and inheritance involved only the movement of chloroplast DNA or genomic material between cells. Our findings may provide a feasible method to enhance plant breeding and the study of HGT.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esu052 | DOI Listing |
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