Abstract
Scientists at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., have inserted foreign DNA into chloroplasts of tobacco plants, the first such insertion in a multicelled plant. Similar modification of the simpler chloroplasts of green algae was achieved three years ago by botany professor John Boynton and coworkers at Duke University. The Rutgers work may lead to improved understanding of the regulation of gene expression in chloroplasts. It may also boost knowledge of how genes in chloroplasts interact with those in cell nuclei and how chloroplasts are involved in metabolic and developmental processes. On a commercial level, inserting herbicide- and pest-resistant DNA into chloroplast genes may be an attractive alternative to genetic modification of cell nuclei. This is because plant pollen cells contain no chloroplasts. Thus, chances for escape of modified genes into the environment through spread of pollen would be minimized. Genetics professor Pal Maliga, research professor Zora Svab, and technician Peter Hajdu...
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
