The distribution of T-DNA in the genomes of transgenic Arabidopsis and rice

Almost all the nuclear genes of four Gramineae (maize, wheat, barley, rice) and pea are located in DNA fractions covering only a 1-2% GC range and rep resenting between 10 and 25% of the different genomes, These DNA fractions comprise large gene-rich regions (collectively called the 'gene space') sep arated bg vast gene-empty, repeated sequences, In contrast, in Arabidopsis thaliana, genes are distributed in DNA fractions covering an 8% GC range an d representing 85% of the genome. Here, we investigated the integration of a transferred DNA (T-DNA) in the genomes of Arabidopsis and rice and found different patterns of integration, which are correlated with the different gene distributions. While T-DNA integrates essentially every-where in the A rabidopsis genome, integration was detected only in the gene space, namely in the gene-rich, transcriptionally active, regions of the rice genome. The implications of these results for the integration of foreign DNA are discu ssed. (C) 2000 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.