2014 Volume 31 Issue 3 Pages 241-248
We established a DNA watermarking system for discriminating transgenic plants. The system contains an encryption algorithm based on a binary system, genetic transformation and a detection algorithm for encrypted DNA watermark sequences using a DNA dot plot. The encryption algorithm converted character strings into nucleic acid sequences through binary digits, and the sequence was designed to be resistant to transition mutations to decipher codes completely. Moreover, the encrypted sequences were capable of taking specific nucleotide sequences in using the algorithmic redundancy of the corresponding DNA. Genetic transformation enables labeling plant genomes with DNA watermarks. The detection algorithm allows finding traces of sequence changes in DNA watermarks, complementing the error protection function of the encryption algorithm. To validate the effectiveness of our DNA watermarking system, we introduced a DNA watermark to the tobacco genome and detected the DNA watermark in PCR products amplified from the genome. This indicates that DNA watermark technology is useful for introducing artificial genetic markers in plant organisms, in particular when several transgenic host plants and transgenes are used. The source codes of the Perl scripts are available in this report.
