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Philosophy and practice of variety-independent gene transfer into recalcitrant crops

  • Somatic Cell Genetics/Genetic Transformation
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Summary

Commercialization and marketing of agricultural products derived from recombinant DNA technologies is now becoming a reality. Genetically engineered tomatoes are poised to appear in supermarket shelves in the United States sometime next year, with other crops, including cotton, maize, soybean, rapeseed, potatoes, cucurbids, raspberries and others, scheduled for release 1 to 2 yr later (Hamilton and Ellis, 1992). One of the major breakthroughs responsible for the rapid creation of commercializable products has been the development of gene transfer methods capable of introducing foreign DNA into elite germplasm. This review examines some of the principles and applications of such gene transfer technologies in relation to conventional alternatives that are limited by cell culture, host, and genotype. Advantages and disadvantages of various gene transfer methods will be discussed. Special emphasis will be given to particle bombardment, as methods based on this technology paved the way for the engineering of a number of important agronomic species.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agracetus Inc., 8520 University Green, 53562, Middleton, Wisconsin

    Paul Christou

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  1. Paul Christou
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Presented in the Session-in-Depth New Approaches to Plant transformation at the 1992 World Congress on Cell and Tissue Culture, Washington, DC, June 20–25, 1992.

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Christou, P. Philosophy and practice of variety-independent gene transfer into recalcitrant crops. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol - Plant 29, 119–124 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02632282

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02632282

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