Banana somatic embryogenesis and biotechnological application

Abstract

As one of the most important economic crop for both staple food and fruit widely cultivated in tropics and subtropics, banana (<italic>Musa</italic> spp.) is susceptible to a plethora of abiotic and biotic stresses. Breeding cultivars resistant to abiotic and biotic stressors without adverse effects on yield and fruit quality are the objectives of banana improvement programs. However, conventional breeding approaches are time-consuming and severely hampered by inherent banana problems (polyploidy and sterility). Therefore, genetic transformation is becoming increasingly popular and can provide rapid solutions. Numerous efforts have been made to develop superior banana cultivars with better resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses and optimum yields using genetic modification strategies. Somatic embryogenesis (SE) through embryogenic cell suspension (ECS) cultures is an ideal recipient system for genetic transformation in banana. The purpose of this paper is to review the current status of banana somatic embryo research, clarify the way of banana somatic embryo induction and culture, and summarize the main influencing factors in the process of somatic embryogenesis. At the same time, their applications in breeding technologies such as cryopreservation, protoplast culture, genetic transformation and gene editing were also summarized, in order to provide reference for the research and practical application of banana somatic embryogenesis in the future.