Progress in tissue culture, genetic transformation and applications of biotechnology to trees: an overview

Trees are an integral part of human life, and a vital component of biodiversity. Forest trees in particular are renewable sources of food, fodder, fuel wood, timber and other valuable non-timber products. Due to the rapid growth of population and the human desire to progress, there has been a tremen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trees (Berlin, West) West), 2004-03, Vol.18 (2), p.115-135
Main Authors: GIRI, C. C, SHYAMKUMAR, B, ANJANEYULU, C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodiversity
Biological and medical sciences
Biotechnology
Earth surface
Fodder
Food sources
Forests
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gene transfer
Genetic engineering
Genetic transformation
Life span
Micropropagation
Plant physiology and development
Plant species
Propagation
Rainforests
Regeneration
Reviews
Species
Timber
Tissue culture
Tissue cultures, protoplasts
Transformations
Trees
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Summary:Trees are an integral part of human life, and a vital component of biodiversity. Forest trees in particular are renewable sources of food, fodder, fuel wood, timber and other valuable non-timber products. Due to the rapid growth of population and the human desire to progress, there has been a tremendous reduction in forest cover from the earth’s surface. To maintain and sustain forest vegetation, conventional approaches have been exploited in the past for propagation and improvement. However, such efforts are confronted with several inherent bottlenecks. Biotechnological interventions for in vitro regeneration, mass micropropagation and gene transfer methods in forest tree species have been practised with success, especially in the last decade. Against the background of the limitations of long juvenile phases and life span, development of plant regeneration protocols and genetic engineering of tree species are gaining importance. Genetic engineering assumes additional significance, because of the possibility of introducing a desired gene in a single step for precision breeding of forest trees. There are no comprehensive and detailed reviews available combining research developments with major emphases on tissue culture and basic genetic transformation in tree species. The present communication attempts to overview the progress in tissue culture, genetic transformation and biotechnological applications in the last decade and future implications.
ISSN:0931-1890
1432-2285
DOI:10.1007/s00468-003-0287-6