Induction of chromosomal inversion by integration of T-DNA in the rice genome

Transfer DNA(T-DNA) of Agrobacterium tumefaciens integration in the plant genome may lead to rearrangements of host plant chromosomal fragments,including inversions.However,there is very little information concerning the inversion.The present study reports a transgenic rice line selected from a T-DNA tagged population,which displays a semi-dwarf phenotype.Molecular analysis of this mutant indicated an insertion of two tandem copies of T-DNA into a locus on the rice genome in a head to tail mode.This insertion of T-DNA resulted in the inversion of a 4.9 Mb chromosomal segment.Results of sequence analysis suggest that the chromosomal inversion resulted from the insertion of T-DNA with the help of sequence microhomology between insertion region of T-DNA and target sequence of the host plant.