Carborundum-dependent entrance of EcoRI restriction enzyme into plant cells and specific cleavage of genomic DNA.

In a basic research to determine the morpho-molecular interactions of plant tissues with EcoRI DNA restriction enzyme, it was demonstrated that this protein is capable of entering the sunflower and maize leaf cells using a plant tissue-abrading material and cleaving the genomic DNA at specific sites. This was inferred from the analysis of morphological patterns of EcoRI-treated leaf areas as well as using some molecular tests, including the cleavage pattern analysis of genomic DNA isolated from treated locations followed by ligation of cleaved fragments into EcoRI site of a DNA cloning vector system. The overall results indicated that the specific restriction of genomic DNA may happen following the entrance of EcoRI protein most likely into the nucleus of plant cells.