The combinatorial effect of terminators and introns on the levels and stability of stable transgene expression in plants

Abstract

Most transgene applications require high and sustained expression, particularly in stably transformed plants. Achieving optimal transgene performance, however, depends on the combined influence of multiple genetic and regulatory factors. In previous work, we systematically evaluated the contribution of different genetic elements to transient transgene expression and demonstrated that terminators are key determinants of transgene performance by reducing transcriptional read-through and preventing transgene silencing. Here, we extend these findings by investigating the roles of terminators and introns in the expression of transgenes in stably transformed plants. Our results show that optimal transgene performance arises from the complementary actions of these two elements. Terminator choice was a major determinant of transgene expression levels, whereas introns played a critical role in maintaining expression stability. We further demonstrate a strong relationship between transgene expression levels and small RNA accumulation and show that intron-containing endogenous genes are enriched among highly expressed and stress-responsive genes, suggesting that intron-mediated protection from silencing may facilitate higher levels of gene expression and have contributed to the emergence and evolutionary retention of intron-containing genes.