Transient Transformation of Nicotiana benthamiana leaves - (Aug/15/2011 )

I read several papers about the technique, but I didn't find the exact mechanism how the gene expression works.

Everything I found out was that if you infiltrate the leaves with Agrobacteria that carry a plasmid with your desired gene, the gene sequence is not intergrated into the chromosome... But where does the gene expression takes place then? I the agrobacteria which are in the plant cells?

So consider you want to express a gene that carries introns. In bacteria is no splicing mechanism and so your gene expression wouldn't work with this technique.

I hope someone can help me with my problem!

Best regards,
Ikar

Same as for stable transformation, T-DNa goes into nucleus. If, following infiltration, leaves or whatever you are infiltrating are kept on appropriate media you would get new, stably transformed plants. If there was an intron it would be spliced out. Only difference is that with transient expression you do not have to wait for new transgenic plants.