Abstract
Gene transfer is an important part of genetic engineering-based plant improvement. Several physical, chemical, or biological methods have been developed in the past for gene delivery in plants. Nanomaterials have attracted considerable attention for the delivery of biomolecules and are being successfully used in animal cells. In plants, though nanoparticles (NP) have been successfully used as fertilizers or their application enhances plant growth, however very little is known about the mechanism of nanoparticle movement across the cell walls. Nanoparticle-mediated delivery of biomolecules in plants is still in infancy, however, it can offer tremendous opportunities for DNA delivery in plant cells. It can address several issues encountered with traditional DNA delivery tools like the limited host range of Agrobacterium or the tissue damage caused by microprojectiles. Though, the presence of a rigid cell wall is a major hurdle for the delivery of the biomolecules in plant cells, several nanomaterials like mesoporous silica nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, magnetic nanoparticles, or metal nanoparticles have been shown to deliver nucleic acids in the plant cells. These proof-of-concept studies have demonstrated the potential of NP for delivery of biomolecules and further exploration of the mechanism of internalization of these NP would help to develop new and efficient tools for plant genetic engineering. Here, we have briefly discussed various traditional gene transfer methods in plants and explored the progress made in the use of NP for delivering biomolecules like nucleic acids or proteins in plant cells for genetic engineering-based crop improvement.
Published Version
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