Inactivation of a transgene due to transposition of insertion sequence (IS136) of Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

Agrobacterium strains harbour insertion sequences, which are known to transpose into genomes as well as into Ti plasmids. In this study we report the inactivation of a transgene due to transposition of the A. tumefaciens insertion sequence IS136. The transposition was discovered following transformation of plant tissues, although the fi delity of the binary vector was confi rmed following transformation into Agrobacterium. Such transpositions are rare but can occur and it is thus important to check the fi delity of the binary vector at different times of Agrobacterium growth in order to avoid failure in achieving transgene expression.