Plants genetic manipulation

Under natural conditions. Agrobacterium does not appear to infect monocotyledonous plants. Genetic manipulation of cereal crops using a Ti-plasmid delivered by Agrobacterium therefore seems out of the question. However, there are some data to suggest that Agrobacterium can, under certain circumstances, infect monocots, but that it does not cause... 

Potential consumer benefits from biotechnology (56) are cost and quaUty. The use of biotech means to increase the level of various sulfur-containing amino acids in coffee proteins, and to enhance sucrose and oil levels, could have an impact on the flavor and aroma of the finished ground coffee product. Also, caffeine level modification/elimination through genetic manipulations of the coffee plant could yield low caffeine coffee without additional processing by the manufacturer. 

The first reports of genetic manipulation of a crop plant were using the carrot. The introduction of crt genes from Erwinia herbicola by a group from Amoco (Ausich etal, 1991 Hauptmann etal.,1991) resulted in elevated levels of P-carotene. 

Carotenoid-rich extracts can be used for coloring purposes and serve as good sources of bioactive compounds. Breeding or genetic manipulation can substantially increase the carotenoid contents of plants, resulting in carotenoid-rich foods that can be applied either as direct sonrces of nutrients or as raw materials for extracting natnral yellow to red colorants. 

Niyogi, K.K., Safety valves for photosynthesis, Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 3, 455, 2000. Pogson, B.J. and Rissler, H.M., Genetic manipulation of carotenoid biosynthesis and photoprotection, Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond B 355, 1395, 2000. 

Once we know the chemical nature of the allelopathic agents and their effects on plant growth dynamics, as well as on health and environment, we can apply genetic manipulation and biotechnology to develop toxin-resistant plants and to reduce the toxin levels frcm the donor plants. These approaches serve a dual purpose because they contribute to increased agricultural productivity and help to minimize the potential risks on health and environment. 

He, X.Z. and Dixon, R.A., Genetic manipulation of isofiavone 7-0-methyltransferase enhances biosynthesis of 4 -0-methylated isofiavonoid phytoalexins and disease resistance in alfalfa. Plant Cell, 12, 1689, 2000. 

Robbins, M.P. et al.. Genetic manipulation of condensed tannins in higher plants. II. Analysis of birdsfoot trefoil plants harboring antisense dihydroflavonol reductase constructs. Plant Physiol, 116, 1133, 1998. 

It is with great pleasure that we accepted the offer by CRC Press to assemble and edit this compilation of reviews on flavonoids and their properties and functions for the present volume. We considered the volume timely in that the last book of this general type, The Flavonoids — Advances in Research Since 1986 (edited by Jeffrey B. Harborne), appeared over a decade ago. Since then, advances in the flavonoid field have been nothing short of spectacular. These advances are particularly evident in the contributed chapters that cover the discovery of a variety of new flavonoids the application of advanced analytical techniques genetic manipulation of the flavonoid pathway improved understanding of flavonoid structures and physiological functions in plants and animals and, perhaps most importantly, the significance of flavonoids to human health. 

Gelvin, S.B. (2003). Improving plant genetic engineering by manipulating the host. Trends Biotechnol. 21(3) 95-98. 

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