Functional characterization of glycine oxidase from Bacillus licheniformis in Escherichia coli and transgenic plants

Objectives To find glycine oxidase genes that can be applied to the breeding of glyphosate resistant crops. Results The glycine oxidase (GO, EC 1.4.3.19) gene (GenBank No: KC831746) from Bacillus licheniformis ( B. licheniformis ) was chemically synthesized and transformed into glyphosate-sensitive Escherichia coli ( E. coli ). The GO gene was transformed into Arabidopsis and rice through Agrobacterium -mediated transformation. The test results confirmed that transgenic plants containing GO genes are more resistant to glyphosate than wild-type plants. On solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) (Murashige and Skoog 1962 ) medium containing 200 µM glyphosate, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana grew normally, while wild-type plants were stunted and root growth was restricted. In a solution containing 500 µM glyphosate, wild-type rice showed severe yellowing, while transgenic rice grew normally. In addition, when sprayed with 10 mM glyphosate solution, wild-type rice withered and died, while transgenic rice grew well. The function of GO gene in glyphosate resistance and the application value of GO gene in the cultivation of glyphosate-resistant crops is proved. Conclusions The glycine oxidase gene from B. licheniformis enhances the resistance of E. coli , Arabidopsis and rice to glyphosate.