Release and leaching of plant DNA in unsaturated soil column

Pote-Wembonyama, John; Rosselli, Walter; Wigger, Andrea; Wildi, Walter

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2006.11.004

Scientific article

English

Release and leaching of plant DNA in unsaturated soil column

Contributors

Pote-Wembonyama, John

; Rosselli, Walter; Wigger, Andrea; Wildi, Walter

Published in

Ecotoxicology and environmental safety, vol. 68, no. 2, p. 293-298

Publication date

2007

Abstract

Little information is available on the process of DNA release from plants and neither is there much information to be found regarding DNA transport in the vadose zone. Unsaturated soil columns were used to examine the release and transport of DNA content in the leaf of tomato variety Palmiro, which was introduced into the soil columns after being dried at 35 °C for 3 days. Soil columns were leached with sterile water at a rate of 0.5 mL h−1 for 104 days. DNA from column leachate water was extracted and analysed. Both quantitative and qualitative measurements of extracted DNA were taken. Tomato gene sequences were detected using PCR amplification based on tomato specific 18S primers. The concentration of total DNA in soil column leachate water ranged from 6.7 to 50.4 μg L−1. Genomic analysis using agarose gel electrophoresis showed degradation of DNA after its passage through unsaturated soil columns. The presence of tomato genes in the leachate water of soil columns suggests a potential release of tomato DNA from leaves and potential transport of DNA over considerable distances in water-unsaturated soil. Consequently, transport of plant DNA in vadose zone is indicated, and there is a risk that the DNA may reach the groundwater.

Keywords

Tomato leaves
DNA release
DNA transport
Vadose zone
Unsaturated soil columns
Groundwater

UNIGE affiliation entities

Faculté des sciences / Section des sciences de la Terre et de l'Environnement / Département F.-A. Forel des sciences de l'environnement et de l'eau

UNIGE research groups

Citation (ISO format)

POTE-WEMBONYAMA, John et al. Release and leaching of plant DNA in unsaturated soil column. In: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety, 2007, vol. 68, n° 2, p. 293–298. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2006.11.004

Article (Published version)

Identifiers

PID : unige:90576
DOI : 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2006.11.004

Additional URL for this publication

http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0147651306002272

Journal ISSN

0147-6513

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Release and leaching of plant DNA in unsaturated soil column

Contributors

Published in

Publication date

Abstract

Keywords

UNIGE affiliation entities

UNIGE research groups

Citation (ISO format)

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Identifiers

Additional URL for this publication

Journal ISSN

Technical informations

Creation

First validation

Update

Status update

Last indexation