TARGETED INSERTION OF FOREIGN GENES INTO THE TOBACCO PLASTID GENOME WITHOUT PHYSICAL LINKAGE TO THE SELECTABLE MARKER GENE

To determine whether targeted DNA insertion into the tobacco plastid genome can be obtained without physical linkage to a selectable marker gene, we carried out biolistic transformation of chloroplasts in tobacco leaf segments with a 1:1 mix of two independently targeted antibiotic resistance genes. Plastid transformants were selected by spectinomycin resistance due to expression of an integrated aadA gene. Integration of the unselected kanamycin resistance (kan) gene into the same plastid genome was established by Southern probing in similar to 20% of the spectinomycin-selected clones. Efficient cotransformation will facilitate targeted plastid genome modification without physical linkage to a marker gene.