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The 18th Transgenic Technology Meeting, held in Houston, Texas from November 12–15, 2023, was a vibrant international forum. It brought together nearly 400 delegates to discuss advances in transgenic technologies and the science these technologies support. Among them were 329 in-person and 70 remote delegates, representing 26 countries from 5 continents. The event, hosted by the International Society for Transgenic Technologies (ISTT), was set against the backdrop of the Hyatt Regency's panoramic views, reflecting the innovative spirit of the conference. A notable precursor to the main conference was the Allele Design Pre-conference Workshop, which fostered in-depth discussions on state-of-the-art methodologies. The main conference encompassed ten sessions, delving into diverse topics from Precision Animal Models of Human Disease to the use of transgenic animals in Space Biology. Eighty posters provided for a lively exchange of ideas, while the ISTT Prize and other awards highlighted the event's commitment to excellence. Beyond the conference halls, attendees had the opportunity to venture into Houston's Museum District, home to 19 museums in the downtown area, or indulge in unique dining experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), a major cash crop that is an important source of sugar and bioethanol, is strongly influenced by the impacts of biotic and abiotic stresses. The intricate polyploid and aneuploid genome of sugarcane has shown various limits for conventional breeding strategies. Nonetheless, biotechnological engineering currently offers the best chance of introducing commercially significant agronomic features. In this study, an efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system that uses the herbicide-resistant CP4-EPSPS gene as a selection marker was developed. Notably, all of the plants that were identified by PCR as transformants showed significant herbicide resistance. Additionally, this transformation protocol also highlighted: (i) the high yield of transgenic lines from calli (each gram of calli generated six transgenic lines); (ii) improved selection; and (iii) a higher transformation efficiency. This protocol provides a reliable tool for a routine procedure for the generation of resilient sugarcane plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Conventional hot-alkaline cocoon degumming techniques greatly weaken the physicochemical and mechanical properties of silk fibroin fiber, thus affecting the quality of silk fabric. Moreover, it causes massive energy waste and serious environmental pollution. Objective: This study aims to establish a novel cocoon self-degumming method by genetic modification of silkworm varieties and silk fibers. Methods: The self-degummed cocoon material was generated by specifically overexpressing trypsinogen protein in the sericin layer of silk thread; the effect of cocoon self-degumming method was evaluated by the degumming rate of sericin protein, the cleanliness and equivalent diameter of silk fibroin fiber; the basic characteristics of silk fibroin fiber degummed by cocoon self-degumming method and conventional hot-alkaline degumming technique were determined by electron microscopy, Fourier infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and tensile tests; the composition and biological activity of degummed sericin protein was respectively analyzed by liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry and cytological experiments. Results: The genetically engineered self-degumming cocoon containing trypsinogen protein was successfully created, and the content of trypsinogen protein in silk was 47.14 ± 0.90 mg/g. The sericin protein in the self-degumming cocoon was removed out in water or 1 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH = 8.0). Compared to alkaline-degummed silk fibroin, self-degummed silk fibroin had better cleanliness, thicker equivalent diameter, more complete silk structure and better mechanical property. In addition, sericin protein degummed from self-degumming cocoons significantly promoted cell proliferation and caused no obvious cytotoxicity. Conclusion: Compared to conventional hot-alkaline degumming technique, the cocoon self-degumming method by genetically overexpressing trypsinogen protein in sericin layer of silk thread can self-degummed in a mild degumming condition, and gain silk fiber with better quality and more biologically active sericin protein products. This strategy can not only reduce the environmental impact, but also generate greater economic value, which will accelerate its application in the silk and pharmaceutical industries.

[Display omitted] • Genetic creation of transgenic silkworm which can produce silk containing trypsinogen. • This genetic-engineered silk can self-degummed in water or under mild condition. • The self-degummed silk can obtain silk fibroin fiber with cleaner, larger equivalent radius and better mechanical properties. • The self-degummed sericin is easier to recover and has the biological function of promoting cell proliferation. • Providing an eco-friendly, energy-saving and sustainable development strategy for reducing the environmental burden brought by the silk industry. Conventional hot-alkaline cocoon degumming techniques greatly weaken the physicochemical and mechanical properties of silk fibroin fiber, thus affecting the quality of silk fabric. Moreover, it causes massive energy waste and serious environmental pollution. This study aims to establish a novel cocoon self-degumming method by genetic modification of silkworm varieties and silk fibers. The self-degummed cocoon material was generated by specifically overexpressing trypsinogen protein in the sericin layer of silk thread; the effect of cocoon self-degumming method was evaluated by the degumming rate of sericin protein, the cleanliness and equivalent diameter of silk fibroin fiber; the basic characteristics of silk fibroin fiber degummed by cocoon self-degumming method and conventional hot-alkaline degumming technique were determined by electron microscopy, Fourier infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and tensile tests; the composition and biological activity of degummed sericin protein was respectively analyzed by liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry and cytological experiments. The genetically engineered self-degumming cocoon containing trypsinogen protein was successfully created, and the content of trypsinogen protein in silk was 47.14 ± 0.90 mg/g. The sericin protein in the self-degumming cocoon was removed out in water or 1 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH = 8.0). Compared to alkaline-degummed silk fibroin, self-degummed silk fibroin had better cleanliness, thicker equivalent diameter, more complete silk structure and better mechanical property. In addition, sericin protein degummed from self-degumming cocoons significantly promoted cell proliferation and caused no obvious cytotoxicity. Compared to conventional hot-alkaline degumming technique, the cocoon self-degumming method by genetically overexpressing trypsinogen protein in sericin layer of silk thread can self-degummed in a mild degumming condition, and gain silk fiber with better quality and more biologically active sericin protein products. This strategy can not only reduce the environmental impact, but also generate greater economic value, which will accelerate its application in the silk and pharmaceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), a major cash crop that is an important source of sugar and bioethanol, is strongly influenced by the impacts of biotic and abiotic stresses. The intricate polyploid and aneuploid genome of sugarcane has shown various limits for conventional breeding strategies. Nonetheless, biotechnological engineering currently offers the best chance of introducing commercially significant agronomic features. In this study, an efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system that uses the herbicide-resistant CP4-EPSPS gene as a selection marker was developed. Notably, all of the plants that were identified by PCR as transformants showed significant herbicide resistance. Additionally, this transformation protocol also highlighted: (i) the high yield of transgenic lines from calli (each gram of calli generated six transgenic lines); (ii) improved selection; and (iii) a higher transformation efficiency. This protocol provides a reliable tool for a routine procedure for the generation of resilient sugarcane plants.

The silkworm, which is considered a model invertebrate organism, was the first insect used for silk production in human history and has been utilized extensively throughout its domestication. However, sericulture has been plagued by various pathogens that have caused significant economic losses. To enhance the resistance of a host to its pathogens,numerous strategies have been developed. For instance, gene‐editing techniques have been applied to a wide range of organisms, effectively solving a variety of experimental problems. This review focuses on several common silkworm pests and their pathogenic mechanisms, with a particular emphasis on breeding for disease resistance to control multiple types of silkworm diseases. The review also compares the advantages and disadvantages of transgenic technology and gene‐editing systems. Finally, the paper provides a brief summary of current strategies used in breeding silkworm disease resistance, along with a discussion of the establishment of existing technologies and their future application prospects. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) cause severe diseases in peppers annually around the world. In pepper, the Me3 gene provides a heat-stable and broad-spectrum resistance to RKNs. In this study, several simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and insertion/deletion (InDel) markers were developed to fine map the Me3 gene. Analysis of 2272 individuals (F2 progenies) revealed that Me3 was located in a 45-kb DNA region between markers SSR784 and SSR339, in which there were three candidate genes. Among them, as a novel nucleotide binding site and leucine rich repeat (NBS-LRR) family gene, the DNA sequence of Capana09g000163 of pepper line ‘HDA149’ was 6348 bp in length, with a 2802-bp open reading frame encoding 933 amino acids, including NB-ARC and LRR domains. Tobacco transient expression assays demonstrated that expression of Capana09g000163 triggered a hypersensitive response (HR) in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Subcellular localization results showed that the Capana09g000163 protein was localized in the cell nucleus. Ectopic expression of Capana09g000163 in Arabidopsis significantly increased resistance against Meloidogyne incognita compared with the wild-type (WT) Arabidopsis. Furthermore, M. incognita was almost unable to develop in transgenic Arabidopsis expressing Capana09g000163. Taken together, we cloned the Me3 gene and verified that it induced resistance against M. incognita with the methods of map-based cloning and transgenic technology, which may be of great significance to pepper breeding for resistance against RKNs.

The ability to adapt, survive, and compete with weeds of transgenic plants is the necessary evaluation content to release transgenic lines in target regions. We compared weediness and agronomic traits of transgenic maize lines G1F-8 and G1F-19 carrying the mcry1F gene with their near-isogenic maize inbred line Zheng 58 in the wasteland and cultivated field under natural conditions for two consecutive years. The results showed that there was no significant difference identified in the species, quantity, and relative coverage ratio (RCR) of weeds between fields with G1F-8, G1F-19, and Zheng 58, regardless of the sowing pattern in the wasteland. Compared with the vigour of weeds, none of G1F-8, G1F-19, and Zheng 58 showed survival advantages, and all showed weak growth potential with no final grain yield. Meanwhile, no volunteer seedlings were found upon investigation in the following year. The simulated seed overwintering experiment in the wasteland further showed that the three kinds of maize could not germinate in the second year. In cultivated land, G1F-8 and G1F-19 had the same growth stages, plant height, and RCR as Zheng 58 throughout two years. In conclusion, the transgenic lines G1F-8 and G1F-19 exhibited no adaptability risk in Gongzhuling, Jilin, China.

The desert moss Syntrichia caninervis has proven to be an excellent plant material for mining resistance genes. The aldehyde dehydrogenase 21 (ScALDH21) gene from S. caninervis has been shown to confer tolerance to salt and drought, but it is unclear how the transgene ScALDH21 regulates tolerance to abiotic stresses in cotton. In the present work, we studied the physiological and transcriptome analyses of non-transgenic (NT) and transgenic ScALDH21 cotton (L96) at 0 day, 2 days, and 5 days after salt stress. Through intergroup comparisons and a weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), we found that there were significant differences between NT and L96 cotton in the plant hormone, Ca2+, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways as well as for photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. Overexpression of ScALDH21 significantly increased the expression of stress-related genes in L96 compared to NT cotton under both normal growth and salt stress conditions. These data suggest that the ScALDH21 transgene can scavenge more reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo relative to NT cotton and improve cotton resistance to salt stress by increasing the expression of stress-responsive genes, responding quickly to stress stimuli, enhancing photosynthesis and improving carbohydrate metabolism. Therefore, ScALDH21 is a promising candidate gene to improve resistance to salt stress, and the application of this gene in cotton provides new insights into molecular plant breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold and drought stress considerably suppress the development of plants. In this study, a new MYB (v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral)TF gene, MbMYBC1, was isolated from the M. baccata and located in nucleus. MbMYBC1 has a positive response to low temperature and drought stress. After being introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana, the physiological indicators of transgenic Arabidopsis had corresponding changes under these two stresses, the activities of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased, electrolyte leakage rate (EL) and the content of proline increased, but the content of chlorophyll decreased. In addition, its overexpression can also activate the downstream expression of AtDREB1A, AtCOR15a, AtERD10B and AtCOR47 related to cold stress and AtSnRK2.4, AtRD29A, AtSOD1and AtP5CS1 related to drought stress. Based on these results, we speculate that MbMYBC1 can respond to cold and hydropenia signals, and can be used in transgenic technology to improve plant tolerance to low temperature and drought stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold and drought stress considerably suppress the development of plants. In this study, a new MYB (v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral)TF gene, MbMYBC1, was isolated from the M. baccata and located in nucleus. MbMYBC1 has a positive response to low temperature and drought stress. After being introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana, the physiological indicators of transgenic Arabidopsis had corresponding changes under these two stresses, the activities of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased, electrolyte leakage rate (EL) and the content of proline increased, but the content of chlorophyll decreased. In addition, its overexpression can also activate the downstream expression of AtDREB1A, AtCOR15a, AtERD10B and AtCOR47 related to cold stress and AtSnRK2.4, AtRD29A, AtSOD1and AtP5CS1 related to drought stress. Based on these results, we speculate that MbMYBC1 can respond to cold and hydropenia signals, and can be used in transgenic technology to improve plant tolerance to low temperature and drought stress.

The desert moss Syntrichia caninervis has proven to be an excellent plant material for mining resistance genes. The aldehyde dehydrogenase 21 (ScALDH21) gene from S. caninervis has been shown to confer tolerance to salt and drought, but it is unclear how the transgene ScALDH21 regulates tolerance to abiotic stresses in cotton. In the present work, we studied the physiological and transcriptome analyses of non-transgenic (NT) and transgenic ScALDH21 cotton (L96) at 0 day, 2 days, and 5 days after salt stress. Through intergroup comparisons and a weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), we found that there were significant differences between NT and L96 cotton in the plant hormone, Ca2+, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways as well as for photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. Overexpression of ScALDH21 significantly increased the expression of stress-related genes in L96 compared to NT cotton under both normal growth and salt stress conditions. These data suggest that the ScALDH21 transgene can scavenge more reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo relative to NT cotton and improve cotton resistance to salt stress by increasing the expression of stress-responsive genes, responding quickly to stress stimuli, enhancing photosynthesis and improving carbohydrate metabolism. Therefore, ScALDH21 is a promising candidate gene to improve resistance to salt stress, and the application of this gene in cotton provides new insights into molecular plant breeding.

Genetic engineering refers to the specific molecular biological modification of DNA sequences. With the rapid development of genetic engineering methods, especially the breakthroughs in guiding endonuclease technology, gene remodeling of crops has become simpler, more precise, and efficient. Genetic engineering techniques can be used to develop crops with superior traits such as high trace elements and high plant nutrients, providing an important tool to meet the needs of nearly 7.6 billion people in the world for crop yield and quality and to achieve sustainable development. This review first introduces transgenic technology and gene editing technology and analyzes the achievements in improving the efficiency of genetic transformation and regeneration in recent years. Then, it focuses on reviewing the applications of related genetic engineering technologies in improving the yield and quality of rice, maize, and wheat. In addition, the problems of genetic engineering technology in crop applications are discussed. The aim is to provide a reference for research on the development of genetic engineering technologies and the improvement of crop yield and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Soybean is one of the most important oilseed and fodder crops. Benefiting from the efforts of soybean breeders and the development of breeding technology, large number of germplasm has been generated over the last 100 years. Nevertheless, soybean breeding needs to be accelerated to meet the needs of a growing world population, to promote sustainable agriculture and to address future environmental changes. The acceleration is highly reliant on the discoveries in gene functional studies. The release of the reference soybean genome in 2010 has significantly facilitated the advance in soybean functional genomics. Here, we review the research progress in soybean omics (genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics and proteomics), germplasm development (germplasm resources and databases), gene discovery (genes that are responsible for important soybean traits including yield, flowering and maturity, seed quality, stress resistance, nodulation and domestication) and transformation technology during the past decade. At the end, we also briefly discuss current challenges and future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgenic technology could hold the key to help farmers to fulfill the ever increasing fast-paced global demand for food. Microbes have always wondered us by their potentials and thriving abilities in the extreme conditions. The use of microorganisms as a gene source in transgenic development is a promising option for crop improvement. The aforesaid approach has already for improving the characteristics of food, industrial, horticulture, and floriculture crops. Many transgenic crops containing microbial genes have been accepted by the farmers and consumers worldwide over the last few decades. The acceptance has brought remarkable changes in the status of society by providing food safety, economic, and health benefits. Among transgenic plants harboring microbial genes, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) based transgenic were more focused and documented owing to its significant performance in controlling insects. However, other microbial gene-based transgenic plants have also reserved their places in the farmer's field globally. Therefore, in this review, we have thrown some light on successful transgenic plants harboring microbial genes other than Bt, having application in agriculture. Also, we presented the role of microbial genetic element and product thereof in the inception of biotechnology and discussed the potential of microbial genes in crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Tobacco, an economic crop and important model plant, has received more progress in salt tolerance with the aid of transgenic technique. Salt stress has become a key research field in abiotic stress. The study of tobacco promotes the understanding about the important adjustment for survival in high salinity environments, including cellular ion transport, osmotic regulation, antioxidation, signal transduction and expression regulation, and protection of cells from stress damage. Genes, which response to salt, have been studied using targeted transgenic technologies in tobacco plants to investigate the molecular mechanisms. The transgenic tobacco plants exhibited higher seed germination and survival rates, better root and shoot growth under salt stress treatments. Transgenic approach could be the promising option for enhancing tobacco production under saline condition. This review highlighted the salt tolerance molecular mechanisms of tobacco.

Copyright of Biology Teaching is the property of East China Normal University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Transgenic technology is increasingly used in forest-tree breeding to overcome the disadvantages of traditional breeding methods, such as a long breeding cycle, complex cultivation environment, and complicated procedures. By introducing exogenous DNA, genes tightly related or contributed to ideal traits—including insect, disease, and herbicide resistance—were transferred into diverse forest trees, and genetically modified (GM) trees including poplars were cultivated. It is beneficial to develop new varieties of GM trees of high quality and promote the genetic improvement of forests. However, the low transformation efficiency has hampered the cultivation of GM trees and the identification of the molecular genetic mechanism in forest trees compared to annual herbaceous plants such as Oryza sativa. In this study, we reviewed advances in transgenic technology of forest trees, including the principles, advantages and disadvantages of diverse genetic transformation methods, and their application for trait improvement. The review provides insight into the establishment and improvement of genetic transformation systems for forest tree species. Challenges and perspectives pertaining to the genetic transformation of forest trees are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgenic technology is increasingly used in forest-tree breeding to overcome the disadvantages of traditional breeding methods, such as a long breeding cycle, complex cultivation environment, and complicated procedures. By introducing exogenous DNA, genes tightly related or contributed to ideal traits—including insect, disease, and herbicide resistance—were transferred into diverse forest trees, and genetically modified (GM) trees including poplars were cultivated. It is beneficial to develop new varieties of GM trees of high quality and promote the genetic improvement of forests. However, the low transformation efficiency has hampered the cultivation of GM trees and the identification of the molecular genetic mechanism in forest trees compared to annual herbaceous plants such as Oryza sativa. In this study, we reviewed advances in transgenic technology of forest trees, including the principles, advantages and disadvantages of diverse genetic transformation methods, and their application for trait improvement. The review provides insight into the establishment and improvement of genetic transformation systems for forest tree species. Challenges and perspectives pertaining to the genetic transformation of forest trees are also discussed.

Main conclusion: This review analyses the most recent scientific research conducted for the purpose of enhancing artemisinin production. It may help to devise better artemisinin enhancement strategies, so that its production becomes cost effective and becomes available to masses. Malaria is a major threat to world population, particularly in South-East Asia and Africa, due to dearth of effective anti-malarial compounds, emergence of quinine resistant malarial strains, and lack of advanced healthcare facilities. Artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone obtained from Artemisia annua L., is the most potent drug against malaria and used in the formulation of artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs). Artemisinin is also effective against various types of cancers, many other microbes including viruses, parasites and bacteria. However, this specialty metabolite and its derivatives generally occur in low amounts in the source plant leading to its production scarcity. Considering the importance of this drug, researchers have been working worldwide to develop novel strategies to augment its production both in vivo and in vitro. Due to complex chemical structure, its chemical synthesis is quite expensive, so researchers need to devise synthetic protocols that are economically viable and also work on increasing the in-planta production of artemisinin by using various strategies like use of phytohormones, stress signals, bioinoculants, breeding and transgenic approaches. The focus of this review is to discuss these artemisinin enhancement strategies, understand mechanisms modulating its biosynthesis, and evaluate if roots play any role in artemisinin production. Furthermore, we also have a critical analysis of various assays used for artemisinin measurement. This may help to develop better artemisinin enhancement strategies which lead to decreased price of ACTs and increased profit to farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic engineering refers to the specific molecular biological modification of DNA sequences. With the rapid development of genetic engineering methods, especially the breakthroughs in guiding endonuclease technology, gene remodeling of crops has become simpler, more precise, and efficient. Genetic engineering techniques can be used to develop crops with superior traits such as high trace elements and high plant nutrients, providing an important tool to meet the needs of nearly 7.6 billion people in the world for crop yield and quality and to achieve sustainable development. This review first introduces transgenic technology and gene editing technology and analyzes the achievements in improving the efficiency of genetic transformation and regeneration in recent years. Then, it focuses on reviewing the applications of related genetic engineering technologies in improving the yield and quality of rice, maize, and wheat. In addition, the problems of genetic engineering technology in crop applications are discussed. The aim is to provide a reference for research on the development of genetic engineering technologies and the improvement of crop yield and quality.

Tobacco, an economic crop and important model plant, has received more progress in salt tolerance with the aid of transgenic technique. Salt stress has become a key research field in abiotic stress. The study of tobacco promotes the understanding about the important adjustment for survival in high salinity environments, including cellular ion transport, osmotic regulation, antioxidation, signal transduction and expression regulation, and protection of cells from stress damage. Genes, which response to salt, have been studied using targeted transgenic technologies in tobacco plants to investigate the molecular mechanisms. The transgenic tobacco plants exhibited higher seed germination and survival rates, better root and shoot growth under salt stress treatments. Transgenic approach could be the promising option for enhancing tobacco production under saline condition. This review highlighted the salt tolerance molecular mechanisms of tobacco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato is one of the most important food crops in terms of annual production and food security worldwide. The crop is affected by several types of biotic stresses, e.g. insects, viruses, fungus, nematodes and weeds, which are the prominent limiting factors for its production. The conventional breeding methods in potato have been associated with limitations; none of the present day commercial cultivar has built-in resistance against biotic stresses. There is strong need for the development of new resistant potato varieties to cope against biotic stresses using non-classical approaches in combination with classical methods. The scientific literature suggests the contribution of modern biotechnological techniques for the development of transgenic potato lines resistant against insects and diseases. The present comprehensive review describes different genetic engineering approaches for the development of transgenic potatoes resistant to insects, weeds, nematodes, fungus and viruses by fellow researchers worldwide. It also gives an insight into modern technologies, e.g. RNAi and CRISPR-Cas9, which have emerged recently and can be implemented in the development of biotic stress resistant potato cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyricularia oryzae anamorph of Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most notorious fungal pathogens causing severe economic loss in rice production worldwide. Various methods, viz. cultural, biological and molecular approaches, are utilized to counteract this pathogen. Moreover, some tolerant or resistant rice varieties have been developed with the help of breeding programmes. Isolation and molecular characterization of different blast resistance genes now open the gate for new possibilities to elucidate the actual allelic variants of these genes via various molecular breeding and transgenic approaches. However, the behavioral pattern of this fungus breakups the resistance barriers in the resistant or tolerant rice varieties. This host-pathogen barrier will be possibly countered in future research by comparative genomics data from available genome sequence data of rice and M. oryzae for durable resistance. Present review emphasized fascinating recent updates, new molecular breeding approaches, transgenic and genomics approaches (i.e. miRNA and genome editing) for the management of blast disease in rice. The updated information will be helpful for the durable, resistance breeding programme in rice against blast pathogen.

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology (1008-0864) is the property of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We highlight the importance of themixed genetic approaches (classical and currents) to improve the social perception related to the GMOs acceptance. We pointed out that CRISPR/Cas9 events could carry DNA variability/rearrangements related to somaclonal variations or epigenetic changes that are independent from the editing per se. The transformation of single cells, followed by plant regeneration, is used to generate modified plants, transgenic or genome editing (CRISPR/Cas9). The incidence of undesirable somaclonal variations and/or epigenetic changes that might have occurred during in vitro multiplication and regeneration processes, must be carefully analyzed in replicates in field trials. One remarkable challenge is related to the time lapse that selects the modified elite genotypes, because these strategies may spend a variable amount of time before the results are commercialized, where in all the cases it should be take into account the genotype × environment interactions. Furthermore, this combination of techniques can create an encouraging bridge between the public opinion and the community of geneticists who are concerned with plant genetic improvement. In this context, either transgenesis or genomic editing strategies become complementary modern tools to facing the challenges of plant genetic improvement. Their applications will depend on case-by-case analysis, and when possible will necessary associate them to the schemes and bases of classic plant genetic improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the commercialized insect resistant transgenic crops express cry gene(s) isolated from Bacillus thuringiensis; however, intensive cultivation of Bt crops over almost two decades has been questioned regarding its sustainability and durability in pest management. The present study focused on silencing of highly specific molting-associated Ecdysone receptor (EcR) gene of Colorado potato beetle (CPB) using RNA interference (RNAi) approach. The partial cDNA of EcR gene of CPB was amplified using specific primers in sense and anti-sense orientations, and cloned in pRNAi-GG vector flanked by an intronic sequence (pdk). Leaf and internodal explants of Agria and Lady Olympia potato cultivars were infected with Agrobacterium strain LBA4404 harboring constructs under the control of CaMV 35S promoter. Standard molecular analysis of primary transformants showed proper integration of T-DNA in plant genome. The transgenic plants of both cultivars were evaluated for their efficacy against first, second and third instar CPB larvae. The leaf biotoxicity assays revealed 15-80% of CPB mortality. A significantly lower fold-change (0.87-4.14×) in larval weight was observed in insects fed on transgenic plants compared to the ones fed on control plants (1.87-6.53×). Furthermore, CPB larvae fed on transgenic plants exhibited reduced EcR transcripts, indicating the functionality of dsRNA EcR in silencing EcR gene expression. This study is an excellent example of the integration of an alternative, effective and reliable method to cope with potato insect pests that incur significant losses to potato production in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tendons and ligaments are connective tissues that have been comparatively less studied than muscle and cartilage/bone, even though they are crucial for proper function of the musculoskeletal system. In tendon biology, considerable progress has been made in identifying tendon-specific genes (Scleraxis, Mohawk, and Tenomodulin) in the past decade. However, besides tendon function and the knowledge of a small number of important players in tendon biology, neither the ontogeny of the tenogenic lineage nor signaling cascades have been fully understood. This results in major drawbacks in treatment and repair options following tendon degeneration. In this review, we have systematically evaluated publications describing tendon-related genes, which were studied in depth and characterized by using knockout technologies and the subsequently generated transgenic mouse models (Tg) (knockout mice, KO). We report in a tabular manner, that from a total of 24 tendon-related genes, in 22 of the respective knockout mouse models, phenotypic changes were detected. Additionally, in some of the models it was described at which developmental stages these changes appeared and progressed. To summarize, only loss of Scleraxis and TGFβ signaling led to severe tendon developmental phenotypes, while mice deficient for various proteoglycans, Mohawk, EGR1 and 2, and Tenomodulin presented mild phenotypes. These data suggest that the tendon developmental system is well organized, orchestrated, and backed up; this is even more evident among the members of the proteoglycan family, where the compensatory effects are much clearer. In future, it will be of great importance to discover additional master tendon transcription factors and the genes that play crucial roles in tendon development. This would improve our understanding of the genetic makeup of tendons, and will increase the chances of generating tendon-specific drugs to advance overall treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation has been widely acknowledged as a key mechanism for addressing sustainable development concerns. However, less attention has focused on downstream commercialization challenges such as achieving increasingly complex and stringent regulatory approval. Such challenges may hinder the development of more sustainable technologies, especially those coming from smaller or publically funded institutes. As well, they may obstruct the development of applications that could provide societal benefits, but may only have limited commercial viability due to small market niches or applicability to customers with limited financial means. We explore this apparent paradox using the concept of the Eroom effect (Moore’s Law backwards), i.e. where improved price performance due to technological advances are outweighed by increasing costs of regulatory approval and other commercialization costs. We illustrate this phenomenon with two cases of publically funded institutes, one developing transgenic cotton, and the other lignin transformation technology that can replace petroleum-based feedstocks in a number of industrial applications. We discuss the unintended consequences of the Eroom effect and conclude with implications for industry, policy and NGOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To increase the wheat productivity in a rapidly changing climate and extreme weather conditions, new varieties that are adaptive to the stresses of the environment are needed. Improvement of wheat varieties by the methods of transgenic technologies has been carried out for more than 20 years. Complex resistance to extreme temperatures, drought, salinity, pathogens, and insects are introduced to productive varieties. By now, the ISB database (Information Systems for Biotechnology-A National Resource in Agbiotech Information) lists 585 cases of transgenic wheat plants resistant to multiple environmental stresses [1]. To improve productive varieties by the methods of transgenic technology, it is necessary to have (1) genes that determine resistance to stress, (2) effective systems of genetic transformation, and (3) factors regulating the expression of a large number of stress response genes. Genes encoding transcription factors (TFs) have attracted particular attention because they are the main regulators of cellular processes; therefore, they are excellent candidates for the modification of complex multigene controlled traits of crops. Under different stress conditions, TFs regulate the stress-responsive genes by binding specifically to cis-elements in their promoters and induce the activation or suppression of their transcription. The results of crop improvement using transgenic technologies and the use of TF indicate that this approach can form the basis for the next generation of biotech crops. The review presents data on various families of TF and some of their properties, as well as prospects and achievements of the use of TF in the genetic engineering improvement of wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]