Physical methods for genetic plant transformation.
Production of transgenic plants is a routine process for many crop species. Transgenes are introduced into plants to confer novel traits such as improved nutritional qualities, tolerance to pollutants, resistance to pathogens and for studies of plant metabolism. Nowadays, it is possible to insert genes from plants evolutionary distant from the host plant, as well as from fungi, viruses, bacteria and even animals. Genetic transformation requires penetration of the transgene through the plant cell wall, facilitated by biological or physical methods. The objective of this article is to review the state of the art of the physical methods used for genetic plant transformation and to describe the basic physics behind them.
Centro de Física Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 1-1010, C.P. 76000, Querétaro, Qro., Mexico. anarivera2000@yahoo.com
Ana Leonor
AL
Rivera
Miguel
M
Gómez-Lim
Francisco
F
Fernández
Achim M
AM
Loske
D000818:Animals; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic