Molecular biology of forest trees
$6.95
biology
presentation
published 25/11/2008
review : Completed
level : Advanced
requested 0 times
In order to genetically engineer a plant, one must be able to insert a gene into the genome of an individual plant cell and then cause that cell to differentiate into a whole plant. The former process is referred to as transformation; the latter, regeneration. The most common way of transforming cells exploits the ability of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, the causative agent of a common plant disease known as crown gall. Agrobacterium contains a closed-circular piece of double-stranded DNA called the tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid. During infection, Agrobacterium inserts a segment of the Ti plasmid, called T-DNA (transferred DNA), into the plants nuclear genome. This T-DNA contains genes encoding enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of plant growth regulators (cytokinin and auxin) which together control cell proliferation. This results in the formation of a tumor, within which the bacterium resides. The T-DNA also contains genes encoding enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of unique amino acids that the plant cannot utilize, and that serve as a carbon source for the bacterium.
Table of Contents
- Introduction.
- Transformation and regeneration.
- Agrobacterium.
- Recombinant DNA techniques.
- Platforms for studying tree biology.
- Marker-aided selection.
- Gene-tagging methods.
- Poplar genome sequence and informatics.
- Transformation to con'rm gene functionality.
- Applied technology.
- Recent progress.
- Public concern.
- Flowering control.
- Methods for engineering reproductive sterility.
- The need for transgene stability.
- Conclusion.
