Overview
- Editors:
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Ronald L. Phillips
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Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, USA
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Indra K. Vasil
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Laboratory of Plant Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
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Table of contents (22 chapters)
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- Richard Whitkus, John Doebley, Jonathan F. Wendel
Pages 116-141
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- Ronald L. Phillips, Indra K. Vasil
Pages 142-143
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- E. C. Brummer, C. S. Echt, T. J. McCoy, K. K. Kidwell, T. C. Osborn, G. B. Kiss et al.
Pages 144-158
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- Howard M. Goodman, Susan Hanley, Sam Cartinhour, J. Michael Cherry, Brian Hauge, Elliot Meyerowitz et al.
Pages 159-162
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- Andris Kleinhofs, Andrzej Kilian
Pages 163-198
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- Carlos F. Quiros, Jinguo Hu, Maria Jose Truco
Pages 199-222
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- Richard W. Michelmore, Richard V. Kesseli, Edward J. Ryder
Pages 223-239
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- Edward H. Coe, Jack M. Gardiner
Pages 240-245
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- Tracy Halward, H. Thomas Stalker, Gary Kochert
Pages 246-260
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- Christiane Gebhardt, Enrique Ritter, Francesco Salamini
Pages 271-285
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- Jeffrey L. Bennetzen, Admasu Melake-Berhan
Pages 291-298
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About this book
The double helix architecture of DNA was elucidated in 1953. Twenty years later, in 1973, the discovery of restriction enzymes helped to create recombinant DNA molecules in vitro. The implications of these powerful and novel methods of molecular biology, and their potential in the genetic manipulation and improvement of microbes, plants and animals, became increasingly evident, and led to the birth of modern biotechnology. The first transgenic plants in which a bacterial gene had been stably integrated were produced in 1983, and by 1993 transgenic plants had been produced in all major crop species, including the cereals and the legumes. These remarkable achievements have resulted in the production of crops that are resistant to potent but environmentally safe herbicides, or to viral pathogens and insect pests. In other instances genes have been introduced that delay fruit ripening, or increase starch content, or cause male sterility. Most of these manipulations are based on the introduction of a single gene - generally of bacterial origin - that regulates an important monogenic trait, into the crop of choice. Many of the engineered crops are now under field trials and are expected to be commercially produced within the next few years. The early successes in plant biotechnology led to the realization that further molecular improvement of plants will require a thorough understanding of the molecular basis of plant development, and the identification and character ization of genes that regulate agronomically important multi genic traits.
Editors and Affiliations
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Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, USA
Ronald L. Phillips
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Laboratory of Plant Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
Indra K. Vasil
