Moonaqua™ carnation

Carnation Moonaqua 123.8.12 has a modified flower colour, a shade of light mauve, whereas the non-GM parent has cream-white flowers. The colour has been achieved by introducing into white carnation two genes of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway from Petunia and Viola sp. These genes, encoding dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (dfr) and flavonoid 3'5' hydroxylase (f3'5'h), together with other genes of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway already present in the non GM carnation, give rise to the anthocyanins delphinidin and cyanidin

Carnation line: FE123

pCGP1991

The size and structure of the inserts have been analyzed by Southern blot analysis and T-DNA between the left and right borders of pCGP1991 remains in the GMHP. Through Southern Blot analysis it has been shown that no DNA from outside the T-DNA borders is present in the GMHP and that the introduced DNA is present as three loci.

Three genes have been transferred into FLO-4Ø689-6, these are:

• The petunia DFR gene, coding for dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), derived from Petunia X hybrida. The petunia DFR enzyme is only capable of using dihydroquercetin and dihydromyricetin as substrate, not dihydrokaempferol. This ensures that most or all of the anthocyanidin produced is delphinidin. A constitutive promoter drives the petunia DFR-A cDNA derived gene;

• the pansy F3'5'H gene, coding for flavonoid 3' 5' hydroxylase (F3'5'H), derived from Viola sp. F3'5'H acts by converting the dihydroflavonols dihydrokaempferol and/or dihydroquercetin into the dihydroflavonol dihydromyricetin. The cDNA for F3'5'H encodes the enzyme F3'5'H allowing transgenic plants normally lacking this enzyme to produce violet or blue delphinidin derived pigments; and

• ALS gene (SuRB), coding for a mutant acetolactate synthase protein (ALS), derived from Nicotiana tabacum. Expression of the mutation confers resistance to sulfonylurea herbicides.