Comparative Review of Plant Transformation Techniques

Plant transformation is now an important biotechnological tool in plant biology and a practical tool for transgenic plant development. There are many verified methods for stable introduction of novel genes into the nuclear genomes of diverse plant species. As a result, gene transfer and regeneration of transgenic plants are no longer the factors limiting the development and application of practical transformation systems for many plant species. However, the desire for higher transformation efficiency has stimulated work on not only improving various existing methods but also in inventing novel methods. Different methods of transferring the gene into plant cells have been developed and continuous efforts have been made to increase its efficiency. Both direct and indirect methods of gene transfer have their own merits and demerits. Efforts have been made continuously to eliminate drawbacks and to develop an easy and eco-friendly method to transfer foreign genes. Many methods of genetic transformation have been proposed and tried in the laboratories, but most of them result to transient expressions. However, transformation work based on particle bombardment with DNA coated micro projectiles and Agrobacterium mediated transformation have proved to be promising in producing stable transgenic plants from a range of plant species.