Transgenic Populus Trees for Forest Products, Bioenergy, and Functional Genomics

Species within the genus Populus are among the fastest growing trees in regions with a temperate climate. Not only are they an integral component of ecosystems, but they are also grown commercially for fuel, fiber, and forest products in rural areas of the world. In the late 1970s, they were designa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Critical reviews in plant sciences 2011-09, Vol.30 (5), p.415-434
Main Authors: Ye, Xia, Busov, Victor, Zhao, Nan, Meilan, Rick, McDonnell, Lisa M, Coleman, Heather D, Mansfield, Shawn D, Chen, Feng, Li, Yi, Cheng, Zong-Ming
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bioenergy
Biological and medical sciences
biotechnology
breeding
ecosystems
energy crops
forest products
forest trees
forestry
fuels
Functional genomics
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
genes
Genetic engineering
genetic improvement
genetically modified organisms
Genomics
molecular biology
oils
Plant growth
Populus
Rural areas
temperate zones
Trees
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Summary:Species within the genus Populus are among the fastest growing trees in regions with a temperate climate. Not only are they an integral component of ecosystems, but they are also grown commercially for fuel, fiber, and forest products in rural areas of the world. In the late 1970s, they were designated as a bioenergy crop by the U.S. Department of Energy, as a result of research following the oil embargo. Populus species also serve as model trees for plant molecular biology research. In this article, we will review recent progress in the genetic improvement of Populus, considering both classical breeding and genetic engineering for bioenergy, as well as in using transgenics to elucidate gene functionality. A perspective for future improvement of Populus via functional genomics will also be presented.
ISSN:0735-2689
1549-7836
1549-7836
DOI:10.1080/07352689.2011.605737