Plant Biotechnology
GROUP THREE (3)
General Botany [Bota 103]

• Methods of Biotechnology
• Gene Transfer:
• Plasmids
• Restriction Enzymes
• Polymerase Chain Reaction
• DNA Ligase and Cloning
• The Accomplishment and Opportunities
of Plant Biotechnology
• Genetic Engineering:
• Trans-genic Plant
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Genetic
Engineering
• Brief History of The First GM crops
• Genomics and Proteomics
Presentation Outline

Presentation Objectives
By the end of this presentation, listeners should know how to:
• Define plants biotechnology
• Identify the methods of gene transfer
• Explain the polymerase chain reaction
• Identify some genetically engineered crops
• Know the contribution of trans-genic plants to human health and nutrition
• Have knowledge of genomics and proteomics

What is Plant Biotechnology?
• The application of scientific method to manipulate living cells or
organisms for practical uses
• It is a biological phenomenon for copying and manufacturing various
kinds of useful substances
• It is a controlled use of biological agents such as micro-organisms or
cellular components for beneficial use

Historical Overview of Plant Biotechnology
• Matthias Schlieden and Theodor
Schwan proposed the concept of cell
theory in the 19th century
• Gottlieb Haberlandt, a German botanist
proposed the plant tissue culture.

Historical Overview cont’d
• In 1981, scientists at Ohio university proposed the first transgenic
animals by transferring genes from other animals into mice
• In 1980 genetic engineering was first used

Methods of Plant Biotechnology
• Gene Transfer
• Plasmids as Vectors
• Restriction Enzymes and DNA Ligase
• Cloning
• Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Tissue Culture

Gene Transfer:
• It’s the insertion of unrelated genetic information in the form of DNA
into cells
• Gene can be transferred between species through genetic engineering
• Genes can be transfer in two methods;
→ Vector mediated gene transfer
→ Direct gene transfer
• The result of gene transfer is called trans-genic organism

Gene Transfer Cont’d
• Vector-mediated gene transfer is carried out by a factor called
• Agrobacterium-mediate transformation
• Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a soil-borne gram-negative bacterium
• There are mainly two species of agrobacterium:
̶ A tumefaciens that induces Crown gall disease
̶ A rhizogene that induces hairy root disease
• Tumefaciens is a phytopathogen and is treated as the nature’s most effective
plant genetic engineer

Gene Transfer Cont’d

Plasmid as Vectors
• Vector is an agent that carries gene from one organism to another
• Plasmids are self replicating circular DNA molecules in bacteria that
are separate from and smaller than the bacteria chromosome, which
carries gene in plant
• Vectors which carries gene in plants are:
̶ Tobacco mosaic virus
̶ Cauliflower mosaic virus

Tobacco Mosaic Virus

Cauliflower Mosaic Virus

Restriction Enzymes and DNA Ligase
• Restriction enzymes and DNA ligase are used to make recombinant
DNA
• Restriction enzymes is a DNA cutting enzyme that recognizes specific
site in DNA
• It produces two ends; sticky and blunc
• The most common restriction enzyme is the EcoRI
• DNA Ligase is a joining enzyme

Restriction Enzymes and DNA Ligase Cont’d
• The steps involve;
1. DNA fragment is firstly isolated
2. Cutting of DNA
3. Joining of DNA

Cloning:
• Cloning is the process of genetically producing exact copy of a gene,
cell or organism
• Cloning produces multiple copies of recombinant DNA
• A clone is an exact copy of a gene, cell or organism
• Recombinant DNA involves modifying pre-existing genes to form new
genes
• The most common plasmids used in cloning are: pbr322 and puc18

Cloning Cont’d
• The are four steps involved in cloning:
1. Isolation
2. Ligation
3. Transfection
4. Selection

Cloning Into a Plasmid

Gene Cloning

Polymerase Chain Reaction
• The polymerase chain reaction clones DNA without using cells.
• PCR takes place in a small tube that contains the sample DNA called
primers.
• It includes all the four nucleotides of DNA coding (a, t, g and c)
• PCR is an indispensable tool
• Strength of PCR
• Weaknesses of PCR

Methods of Inserting Clone Genes Into
Plant Cells
• There are basically four ways of inserting clone genes into plant cells.
̶ Gene-gun
̶ Electroporation
̶ Micro-injection
̶ Liposomes

Gene Gun:
• Gene-gun biolistic particle
delivering system originally
designed for plant
transformation

Electroporation:
• Electroporation is a
microbiological technique in
which an electrical field is
applied in cells in order to
increase the probability of
the cell membrane

Micro-Injection:
• Micro-injection it is the use
of a micro pipet to inject
DNA into a cell.

Liposomes:
• Liposomes small spheres made
of liquid molecule that can
fuse easily with the plasma
membrane.

Tissue Culture
• Methods that encourage individual plants to express their totipotency in
an artificial medium is called tissue culture
• The cells first forms a mass of undifferentiated cells called callus
• Totipotency forms all types of cells in the body
• There are two basic types of tissue culture:
̶ Anther culture
̶ Meristem culture

Anther Culture:

Meristem Culture:

Genetic Engineering
• Genetic engineering transfers genes from varieties of organisms into
plants.
• Genetic engineering has made pest resistant plants
• This engineering has also made plants more productive
• As well they are resistant to pests

Genetic Engineering Cont’d
• Plants has been engineered to resist
pests viruses and fungi
• This resistance occurs because the
plants produce the proteins which
prevent the virus from attaching to
plant cell
• It also blocks the replication of genetic
codes in plants
• This production of proteins helps plants
like papaya against devastating spot ring
virus

Genetic Engineering Cont’d
• Genetic Engineering is the artificial manipulation, modification and
recombination of DNA or other nuclei acid molecules.
• Genetic engineering has made plants more resistant to harsh soil
conditions and pest.
• Plants have been engineered to overproduce than usual

Genetic Engineering Cont’d
• Plants are also engineered to be resistant to droughts and other soil
conditions
• Transgenic plants increases the crop production
• Transgenic plants contributes to human health and nutrition

Transgenic Plants
• Benefits of transgenic plants to humans
̶ Medical benefits
̶ Industrial benefits
̶ Agricultural benefits
̶ Transgenic plants improves poor access of food

Genetically Engineered Crops Require Extensive Field and
Market Testing Before They Are Released
• Field testing is creating, using and iterating your offering before
offering it to customers
• Test marketing is an experiment conducted in a field laboratory (the
test market) comprising of actual stores and real life buying
situations ,without the buyers knowing they are participating in an
evaluation exercise
• The sensitivity of a new plant may have increased in fungal disease.
• Time frame is 6yrs before it is available on the markets

Genetically Engineered Plants Must Be Safe For
Environment and Consumers
• It helps in the reduction of malnutrition
• It provides vitamins such as vitamin a, iron, zinc, protein, essential
amino acids and essential fatty acids
• It reduces the level of anti nutritional factors such as cyanogens etc

Advantages of Genetically Modified
Crops
• Nutritional content can be improved
• Genetically modified foods can have a longer shelf life
• We receive medical benefits from GM crops
• It creates foods that are more appealing to eat
• GM foods are easier to transport

Disadvantages of Genetically Modified Crops
• GM crops may cause antibiotic resistance
• Genes go into different plant species
• Independent research is not allowed

Brief History On The First Genetically
Modified Crop
• The first genetically modified food approved for release was the Flavr Savr
tomato in 1994. It was developed by a company called Calgene and it was
engineered to have a longer shelf life by inserting an antisense gene that delayed
ripening.

Golden Rice
• Golden rice is a variety of rice (oryza rice) produced through genetic
engineering to biosynthsize beta-carotene, a precursor in the edible
parts of rice.
• It is intended to produce a fortified food to be grown and consumed
in areas with a shortage of dietary vitamin a, a deficiency which each
year is estimated to kill 670,000 children under the age of five (5)
and cause an additional 500,000 causes of irreversible childhood
blindness.
• It was done in the philippines in 1999.

Golden Rice:

Genomics and Proteomics
• Genomics is the science which determine the nucleotide sequence
of a whole genome
• The nucleotide sequence specifies the amino acid sequence of a
protein, in which genomics is related to proteomics, which is the
science that deals with organisms’ proteins and functions

References
• Nabor, Murray W., INTRODUCTION TO BOTANY. Copyright 2004
Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Benjamin Cummings, 1301,
Sansome Street., San Francisco, CA 94111
• www.aw-bc.com
• http://www.biologymad.comresourcesdiffusionrevision.
• www.google.com

THE END
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