Abstract
Maize is the principal grain crop of the world. It is also the crop where genetic engineering has been employed to a great extent to improve its various traits. The ability to transform maize is a crucial step for application of gene technology in maize improvement. There have been constant improvements in the maize transformation technologies over past several years. The choice of genotype and the explant material to initiate transformation and the different types of media to be used in various stages of tissue culture can have significant impact on the outcomes of the transformation efforts. Various methods of gene transfer, like the particle bombardment, protoplast transformation, Agrobacterium-mediated, in planta transformation, etc., have been tried and improved over years. Similarly, various selection systems for retrieval of the transformants have been attempted. The commercial success of maize transformation and transgenic development is unmatched by any other crop so far. Maize transformation with newer gene editing technologies is opening up a fresh dimension in transformation protocols and work-flows. This review captures the various past and recent facets in improvement in maize transformation technologies and attempts to present a comprehensive updated picture of the current state of the art in this area.
Highlights
Maize (Zea mays L.) or corn is the principal crop of the world and stands first among the grain crops in terms of production
Embryogenic callus initiated from immature embryos and cell suspension cultures of embryogenic callus are most preferred targets for maize transformation (Armstrong, 1999; Hansen and Wright, 1999; Torney et al, 2007)
Murashige Skoog (MS), N6 (Chu) or Linsmaier and Skoog (LS)-based culture media have been used for maize transformation at various stages of tissue culture
Summary
Maize (Zea mays L.) or corn is the principal crop of the world and stands first among the grain crops in terms of production. It is primarily used as animal feed and raw materials for various industries, and only a minor proportion is used as direct human food. Various biotic and abiotic stresses are the bottleneck in enhancing maize production, productivity, and quality in the limited cultivable land available. To overcome these challenges, genetic engineering of maize with desired target genes have been extensively employed to produce transgenic maize cultivars with improved traits. Transformation to develop transgenic maize has been a forefront technology for the genetic improvement of this crop
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