Molecular biology of forest trees

Type :

Presentation

Pages :

7 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

11/25/2008

Category :

Science & technology

Sub category :

Biology

Oboulo.com selection criteria

$ 14.95 Add to cart

Summary :

Introduction.
1. Transformation and regeneration.
2. Agrobacterium.
3. Recombinant DNA techniques.
Platforms for studying tree biology.
1. Marker-aided selection.
2. Gene-tagging methods.
3. Poplar genome sequence and informatics.
4. Transformation to con?rm gene functionality.
Applied technology.
1. Recent progress.
2. Public concern.
3. Flowering control.
4. Methods for engineering reproductive sterility.
5. The need for transgene stability.
Conclusion.

Abstract

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 plant's 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.