Chimera (plant) - Chimeras in Plant Transformation

Chimeras in Plant Transformation

Genetic engineering is widely used to alter the traits of certain plants. Generally speaking, it involves recombinant DNA integration, either through traditional or non-traditional way, and transgenic plant recovery. Agrobacterium mediated transformation involves callus generation, co-cultivation with agrobacterium and later on followed by plant regeneration. Tissued transformed with exogenous genes could contain both transformed cells and non-transformed cells. In many plant transformation systems, a selection marker such as the herbicide or antibiotics resistance genes is utilized to distinguish the transformed ones with untransformed ones. Even so there is still high chance that transgenic plant became a chimera.