The first genetically engineered plants, tobacco plants, were reported in the scientific literature in 1984. Since 1984 there have been thousands of genetically engineered plants produced in laboratories worldwide. The process of genetically engineering a plant involves several key steps:
- isolating the genetic sequence (gene) to be placed from its biological source
- placing the gene in an appropriate vehicle to facilitate insertion into plant cells
- inserting the gene into the plant in a process known as plant transformation
- selecting the few plant cells that contain the new gene (transformed cells) out of all the plant cells in the explant
- multiplying the transformed cells in sterile tissue culture
- regenerating the transformed cells into a whole plant that can grow outside the tissue culture vessel
The gene or genes to be placed in the plant may be obtained from virtually any biological source: animals, bacteria, fungi, viruses, or other plants. Placing genes into an appropriate vehicle for transfer into a plant involves using various molecular biology techniques, such as restriction enzymes and ligation, to essentially "cut and paste" the gene or genes of interest into another DNA molecule, which serves as the transfer vehicle (vector).
See also: Novel Products, Plant Tissue Cultures, Public Concern
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