Understanding the process of crown gall formation through Agrobacterium tumefaciens has shown that virulent strains of this bacteria are able to introduce a part of their genome material into the plant cell. This results in not only successful integration and transformation of the plant cells, but also prompt replication of bacterial genes, along with the plant genome.…

When the plant genome is altered by artificial introduction of one or few genes responsible for a desired trait, it is referred to as genetic transformation. Such genetically altered cell, when manipulated to develop into a whole plant, due to its totipotency, results in a transgenic plant. Though not all plants are amenable to such…

Callus-derived cells sometimes fail to generate secondary metabolites and even when they do so in many cases the initial spurt in secondary metabolite production slowly declines and comes to a halt. However, on organogenesis, they continue to accumulate secondary metabolites. Since in whole plants production and storage of secondary metabolites is regulated by and associated…

Chemical change brought about by biological systems such as cells, organelles, enzymes, or cell free extracts resulting in compound conversions or de novo synthesis from added precursors is called bio transformation. Microbial biotransformations have enabled the highly cost-effective manufacture of several medicinally important steroids from plant-derived steroid precursors which are a few steps away from the desired…

Cultured plant cells in suspension usually demonstrate an inverse relationship between growth and primary or secondary metabolism. Secondary metabolite formation usually does not reach optimum levels until the growth rate of the culture decreases substantially during the stationary phase. In other words, secondary metabolite generation could be maintained for extended periods if stationary phase cells…

There are multiple methodologies being followed for different types of plant cell/tissue culture techniques. The current know how in this area is such; it is not only possible to culture free cells, genetically alter them, induce cell divisions, and elicit secondary metabolite production; plant cells cultured from plants with desired combination of traits may be somatically…

Kinetin was the first cytokinin to be isolated from the DNA of herring sperm, and zeatin was the first plant cytokinin isolated from coconut liquid endosperm. Since then it has been reported from maize and several other plants. Cytokinins influence cell division and shoot formation. These have a synergistic effect with auxins and ratios of these…

They are groups of plant hormones, widely distributed in higher plants and known to exert profound influences on the growth and development of plants. They exert their effect at very low concentrations and regulate a range of cell activities such as cell growth, cell division, differentiation, morphogenesis, dormancy, and senescence. Following the discovery of their…

Gelling agents are used to make the media semi-solid for it to provide support to the explant without which it may submerge and deprive the growing cells of the needed oxygen. Agar (0.8–1%), agarose (0.4%), and gelrite—a bacterial polysaccharide (0.1–0.2%) are usually used as they withstand sterilization by autoclaving and are liquid while hot and…

Theoretically, cultured plant cells are equipped to synthesize the needed biomolecules, vitamins, and other growth elements. However these are supplied in the media for providing maximal/optimal conditions for growth. In general, sucrose in 2–5% concentration is the carbon source. Glucose, fructose, maltose, galactose, mannose, and lactose may also be used. Sucrose plays an important osmotic…