title: Higher plant transformation: principles and molecular tools.
abstract: In higher plants, genetic transformation, which is part of the toolbox for the study of living organisms, had been reported only 30 years ago, boosting basic plant biology research, generating superior crops, and leading to the new discipline of plant biotechnology. Here, we review its principles and the corresponding molecular tools. In vitro regeneration, through somatic embryogenesis or organogenesis, is discussed because they are prerequisites for the subsequent Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transferred (T)-DNA or direct DNA transfer methods to produce transgenic plants. Important molecular components of the T-DNA are examined, such as selectable marker genes that allow the selection of transformed cells in tissue cultures and are used to follow the gene of interest in the next generations, and reporter genes that have been developed to visualize promoter activities, protein localizations, and protein-protein interactions. Genes of interest are assembled with promoters and termination signals in Escherichia coli by means of GATEWAY-derived binary vectors that represent the current versatile cloning tools. Finally, future promising developments in transgene technology are considered.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Systems Biology, Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Technical University of Mombasa, Mombasa, Kenya.
authors.forename: Sylvester
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anami
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Njuguna
authors.forename: Griet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coussens
authors.forename: Stijn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aesaert
authors.forename: Mieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Lijsebettens
mesh_terms: D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000235:genetics*; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D017343:Genes, Plant; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D005838:Genotype; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C036483:T-DNA