이 연구는 형질전환 고추로부터 토양 근권 미생물로의 유전자 이동 가능성을 조사하기 위해 수행되었다. 재배중인 오이 모자이크 바이러스 저항성 고추와 대조구의 근권토양으로부터 DNA를 추출한 후 형질전환 고추 도입유전자에 특이적인 프라이머를 사용하여 PCR 분석을 수행하였다. PCR 결과 도입유전자인 NPTII 유전자가 수집된 전 기간의 근권 토양 샘플에서 발견되었다. 발견된 도입유전자가 고추로부터 토양 미생물로의 유전자 이동에 의한 결과인지를 조사하기 위하여 토양 샘플로부터 미생물들을 분리하여 카나마이신이 첨가된 세균 및 진균 배지에 배양하였다. 약 43만개의 세균 코로니와 16만개의 진균 코로니를 조사 한 결과 카나마이신에 저항성을 나타내는 개체는 발견되지 않아 형질전환 고추로부터 근권 미생물로의 유전자이동은 발생하지 않은 것으로 사료되었다.

Transgenic plants that over express virus coat protein genes have attracted particular interest from researchers, by virtue of their tolerance to virus infection. The transgenic watermelon rootstock analyzed in this study was established by introducing CGMMV coat protein (cp) under the control of CaMV 35S promoter and NOS terminator (Park et al., (2005) Plant Cell Rep. 24: 350-6). The primary objective of this study was to determine the copy number and integration site of the transgene element, in order to develop detection techniques required for monitoring of the transgenic watermelon rootstock. The Southern blot analysis indicated that a single copy of CGMMV-cp gene was inserted into the genome of transgenic watermelon rootstock. We also identified the genomic sequences flanking the integration site of the transgene by inverse PCR analysis. In an effort to find a sequence usable as an internal positive control for the screening of the watermelon and watermelon rootstock, we found that the Sat and DIP-1 genes appears as one copy within their genomes and is watermelon rootstock- and watermelon-specific. The information of the integrated site and the internal positive control sequence was used to establish a new event-specific PCR-based detection method. In addition, mRNA and protein expression level of the transgene in the transgenic watermelon rootstock and grafted watermelon were investigated. The expression of both mRNA and protein of CGMMV-CP was not detected in the transgenic watermelon rootstocks and watermelons, suggesting that the movement of transgene products from transgenic rootstock to watermelon does not occur at our detection level.