Factors Affecting Agrobacterium-mediated Transformation of Plants

Abstract

Plant transformation technology has become a versatile platform for cultivar improvement as well as for studying gene function in plants. The development of an efficient method for genetic transformation is a prerequisite for the application of molecular biology to the improvement of a given crop species. Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation is the dominant technology used for the production of genetically modified transgenic plants. Extensive research aimed at improving the molecular machinery of Agrobacterium responsible for the generation and transport of the bacterial DNA into the host cell has resulted in the establishment of many recombinant Agrobacterium strains and technologies currently used for the successful transformation of numerous plant species. Many factors influencing Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of plants have been investigated and elucidated. These factors include bacterial strains and cell density, plant species and genotype, plant growth regulators and antibiotics, explant, explant wounding, light and temperature. Before attempting stable transformation of any new species, it is useful to optimize the factors influencing transformation efficiency, as this can reduce future costs in labor and materials. The studies of such factors hold great promise for the future of plant biotechnology and plant genetic engineering as they might help in the development of conceptually new techniques and approaches needed today to expand the host range of Agrobacterium and to control the transformation process and its outcome during the production of transgenic plants. Here, I review some of the main factors that influence Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation and discuss their possible roles in this process.