TRANSFORMATION, A POWERFUL TOOL FOR CROP IMPROVEMENT

Authors: Skinner, Daniel; MUTHUKRISHNAN, S - KANSAS STATE UNIV; LIANG, G - KANSAS STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Transgenic Crops Theory and Practice
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/2/2004
Publication Date: 7/30/2004
Citation: Skinner, D.Z., Muthukrishnan, S., Liang, G.H. 2004. In: Transformation, a powerful tool for crop improvement. In: Skinner, D.Z, Liang, G.H., editors. Genetically Modified Crops . Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press. p. 1-16.

Interpretive Summary: Several methods of introducing new genes into plants have been applied to dozens of crops. This book chapter was written as an introduction to the book, and provides a brief overview of the reasoning behind using genetic transformation techniques to improve productivity, of the methods that have been attempted, and a review of the procedures used to confirm genetic 'transformation."

Technical Abstract: Transgenic crop plants are now a reality and will be part of the production of food, feed, and fiber from now on. The many objectives identified by scientists working in plant and plant product improvement are addressed with many methods of transforming plants. To date, the majority of transgenic plants are those transformed with a single major gene, or combinations of independent genes. The future will see the engineering of more plants to express the products of metabolic pathways not normally active in the species. A current example of pathway engineering is Golden Rice, rice plants that produce pro-vitamin A in the seeds. To achieve the pro-vitamin A production, rice plants were genetically transformed with three genes from unrelated species. Genetic transformation of crop plants is best described as a tool to aid in the acquisition of needed genes. This book is offered as a summary of the current status of the use of that tool.