Major Discoveries and Application of Plant genetic transformation.

What is plant genetic transformation.......?

Plant genetic transformation is a way to insert DNA from another organism- normally another plant, into the genome of a plant of interest. 

- Transformation of cells is a widely used and versatile tool in genetic engineering and is of critical importance in the development of molecular biology. 

Major Discoveries :-

- Transformation was discovered in Streptococcus pneumoniae in 1928 by Frederick Griffith. 

- In 1944, Oswald T. Avery, Colin M. MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty demonstrated that the “transforming principle” was DNA. 

- Both results are milestones in the elucidation of the molecular nature of genes.

- The principle of inheritances - 1865.

    Gregor Mendel, through his work on pea plants, discovered the fundamental laws of inheritance. 

- The pure line theory - 1903

Wilhelm Johannsen first proposed the distinction between genotype and phenotype in the study of heredity while working in Denmark in 1909.

- Hybrid vigor – 1908

In early 1908, George Harrison Shull, then at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, published a paper with the title, “the composition of a field of maize.

- The double-cross method – 1917 

In 1917 Donald Forsha Jones crossed the single cross of two strains of Chester's Learning corn, with a single cross of two strains of Burr White corn.

- Transposable elements discovered in maize – 1940 

Transposable elements, or transposons, are DNA sequences that can move locations within a genome, also known as jumping genes. 

- Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation - 1977

In 1977 Marc Van Montagu and Jeff Schell discovered the gene transfer mechanism between Agrobacterium and plants. 

- The first biotech plant – 1982 

In 1982, the first biotech plant, an antibiotic resistant tobacco, was developed. 

 

- The gene gun method - 1986

A gene gun is a device for delivering exogenous DNA or transgenes to cells. 

- The first flowering plant genome sequenced - 2000

The first complete genome sequence of a plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, appeared in Nature in 2000.

- The first Golden Rice field trial – 2004

Golden Rice is a variety which has been genetically engineered to biosynthesize beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, in the edible parts of rice. 

- CRISPR first applied to plants – 2013  

In August 2013, five reports were published discussing the first application of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in plants.

Application :- 

1) Process of using r-DNA tech alter the genetic material of an organism .

2) Help to speed up the process creating new food with desired trait .

3) Crop developed through genetic engineering transgenic crop or genetically modified ( GM ) crop .

4) Not only be used to enhances yields and nutritional qualities .

5) For increase tolerances to various biotic and abiotic stresses .

6) Commercial available crops , transgenic crop with high market value such as

     1.  herbicide tolerant .

      eg. maize , cotton , canola .

     2. insect resistant crop 

      eg. maize , cotton , potato .

     

7) Transgenic crop with combined traits are also available .

     herbicide tolerant ,insect resistant .

8) New and future initiatives :-

    1. food quality 

    2. environmental benefits  

    3. pharmaceutical production .