Agrobacterium is not alone: gene transfer to plants by viruses and other bacteria
Date: 2.3.2006
Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation is the most widely used technology for obtaining the overexpression of recombinant proteins in plants.
However, complex patent issues related to the use of Agrobacterium as a tool for plant genetic engineering and the general requirement of establishing transgenic plants can create obstacles in using this technology for speedy research and development and for agricultural improvements in many plant species.
Recent studies addressing these issues have shown that virus-based vectors can be efficiently used for high transient expression of foreign proteins in transfected plants and that non-Agrobacterium bacterial species can be used for the production of transgenic plants, laying the foundation for alternative tools for future plant biotechnology.
Read the complete article in the complimentary issue of Trends in Plant Science.
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].
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