Homologous Recombination and Gene Silencing in Plants

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

   PDF

2. Genetic RNA-RNA Recombination in Positive-Stranded RNA Viruses of Plants

   • Jozef J. Bujarski, Peter D. Nagy

   Pages 1-24

3. Recombination of a Plant Pararetrovirus: Cauliflower Mosaic Virus

   • Thomas Hohn

   Pages 25-38

4. Recombination in the Geminiviruses: Mechanisms for Maintaining Genome Size and Generating Genomic Diversity

   • David M. Bisaro

   Pages 39-60

5. Recombination of Plant Mitochondrial Genomes

   • Patricia L. Conklin, Maureen R. Hanson

   Pages 61-81

6. Homologous Recombination and Integration of Foreign DNA in Plastids of Higher Plants

   • Pal Maliga, Jeffrey Staub, Helaine Carrer, Ivan Kanevski, Zora Svab

   Pages 83-93

7. Intrachromosomal Recombination Between Genomic Repeats

   • Conrad P. Lichtenstein, Jerzy Paszkowski, Barbara Hohn

   Pages 95-122

8. Substrate Specificity of Plant Recombinases Determined in Extrachromosomal Recombination Systems

   • Holger Puchta, Peter Meyer

   Pages 123-155

9. Plant Genes and Proteins Involved in Homologous Recombination

   • Alain F. Tissier, Ethan R. Signer

   Pages 157-166

10. Homology Recognition During T-DNA Integration into the Plant Genome

    • Csaba Koncz, Kinga Németh, George P. Rédei, Jeff Schell

    Pages 167-189

11. Gene Replacement in Plants

    • Stephan Ohl, Remko Offringa, Peter J. M. Van Den Elzen, Paul J. J. Hooykaas

    Pages 191-217

12. Use of Site-Specific Recombination Systems in Plants

    • Joan T. Odell, Sandra H. Russell

    Pages 219-270

13. Inactivation of Repeated Genes — DNA-DNA Interaction?

    • Marjori Matzke, Antonius J. M. Matzke, Ortrun Mittelsten Scheid

    Pages 271-307

14. Post-transcriptional Inhibition of Gene Expression: Sense and Antisense Genes

    • Joseph N. M. Mol, Rik Van Blokland, Pieter De Lange, Maike Stam, Jan M. Kooter

    Pages 309-334

15. Silencing of Chitinase Expression in Transgenic Plants: An Autoregulatory Model

    • Frederick Meins Jr., Christian Kunz

    Pages 335-348

16. Inactivation of Maize Transposable Elements

    • Nina V. Fedoroff, Vicki Chandler

    Pages 349-385

Higher eukaryotes are characterized by the allocation of distinct functions to numerous types of differentiated cells. Whereas in animals the well-defined, protected cells of the germ line separate early, germ cells in plants differentiate from somatic cells only after many cycles of mitotic division. Therefore somatic mutations in plants can be transmitted via the germ cells to the progeny. There is thus a clear need for somatic tissues to maintain their genetic integrity in the face of environmental challenges, and two types of interactions have been shown to play important roles in the conservation as well as flexibility of plant genomes: homologous recombination of repeated sequences and silencing of multiplied genes. Sensitive methods have been developed that allow greater insights into the dynamics of the genome. This book summarizes current knowledge and working hypotheses about the frequencies and mechanisms of mitochondrial, plastid, nuclear and viral recombination and the inactivation of repeated genes in plants. Despite rapid developments in the field, it is often not possible to provide final answers. Thus, it is an additional task of this book to define the open questions and future challenges.
The book is addressed to scientists working on plant biology and recombination, to newcomers in the field and to advanced biology students.

• DNA
• Expression
• conservation
• gene expression
• genes
• transcription

• Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland

  Jerzy Paszkowski

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