Abstract: The invention provides processes for generating transgenic plants or plant cells transformed on their plastome, comprising introducing into plant plastids a first and a second DNA molecule, wherein the first DNA molecule contains a first region homologous to a region of the plastome for directing plastome integration and a first sequence of interest, and the second DNA molecule contains a second region homologous to a region of the plastome and a second sequence of interest, whereby a sequence segment of the first sequence of interest is homologous to a sequence segment of the second sequence of interest, and selecting transformants having an integration sequence stably integrated in the plastome, whereby the integration sequence contains at least a portion of the first and second sequences of interest as a continuous sequence. The invention further provides plant cells, plants, and seeds of plants produced by such processes.

Abstract: A process of generating transgenic plants or plant cells transformed on their plastome and being devoid of a selection marker, comprising the following steps: (a) transforming plastids of a plant or plant cell with a DNA comprising: (i) a nucleotide sequence conferring replication of said DNA in a plant cell, (ii) at least one sequence of interest, (iii) sequences flanking said at least one sequence of interest necessary for stable integration of said at least one sequence of interest into the plastid genome, and (iv) a selection marker outside of said sequences flanking said sequence(s) of interest; (b) allowing integration of said at least one sequence of interest into the plastome in the presence of selective pressure; (c) allowing loss of said selection marker sequence by releasing selective pressure; and (d) recovering cells and/or plants being genetically transformed on their plastomes and being devoid of said selection marker.