Towards the Genetic Improvement of Indonesian Sugarcane
July 4, 2008| |
Sugarcane is an important crop in Indonesia because it provides the country’s sugar needs and it is also being considered as one of the feedstocks for ethanol production. Sugar yield can be increased by developing high-yielding varieties with resistances to pests and diseases. Many strategies have been reported to improve these traits in sugarcane. A study in Jember and Muhammadiyah University in Indonesia attempted to conduct genetic transformation in sugarcane through Agrobacterium tumefaciens in the hope of fast-tracking this endeavor.
Preliminary studies comparing the constitutive promoters CaMV35S and the rice ubiquitin RUBQ2 promoters to drive the expression of the gusA gene revealed the higher activity of the former in embryogenic callus and suspension cultures of sugarcane. The encountered somaclonal variation in the transformed callus did not produce any transgenic plants. Thus, a new strategy to produce transgenic plants by transforming in vitro plants and multiple shoots without intervening callus phase was developed. This procedure allowed the production of transgenic plants that express the GUS gene. Further studies will focus on transgene stability and ways to increase efficiency.
For more details, see the article at: http://journal.discoveryindonesia.com/index.php/hayati/article/viewFile/96/122. Contact Dewi Suryani of IndoBIC for information on biotechnology in Indonesia at dewisuryani@biotrop.org
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- 2008 World Food Prize Goes to Two U.S. Senators
- FAO: Land Degradation on the Rise
- Fortified Cassava: A Day’s Nutrition in a Single Meal
- Tree-Killing Fungus Gets a Name
- GMOs For Small Farmers in Africa
- U.S. GM Cultivation Reaches 60 Million Hectares
- Rice Genomics Research Without the GM
- DOE JGI Announces 2009 Genome Sequencing Plans
- Ethanol By-Product to Combat Weeds
- New DuPont Markers for Soybean Productivity
- Monsanto Acquires Guatemalan Seed Company
- Bio-Summit on Agri-biotech in Sapporo and Tokyo Held
- Limited Release of Drought Tolerant GM Wheat
- India Releases National Action Plan on Climate Change
- IFAD Project to Enhance Food Security in Azerbaijan
- Herbicide-Tolerant Rice to Enhance Conservation Agriculture in Rice-Wheat Cropping System
- TATA Trust to Support Revival of Agriculture
- Towards the Genetic Improvement of Indonesian Sugarcane
- Impact of Bt Maize Cultivation in Spain
- Scientists Identify Genes that Control Citrus Carotenoid Content
- Study: Transgenic and Organic Agriculture Cannot Coexist
-
Research Highlights
- Disease Resistant GM Crops, Where Do We Stand?
- Review: Plant Polyamines for Growth and Survival
-
Announcements
- International Conference on Sorghum for Biofuel
- Workshop on Genomics Tools and PGR
- Emerging Trends in Production, Processing and Utilization of Natural Fibers
-
Resources
- IFPRI's Literature Collection on Economic Impact of GM Crops
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 30, 2025)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 30, 2025)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet