A Cell Culture Approach For The Development Of Disease Resistance: Studies On The Phytotoxin Cercosporin

Abstract

The use of cell culture techniques for the development of diseaseresistant plants has centered around 3 basic approaches. First of all, pathogen toxins and pathogens themselves have been used to select novel, resistant variants in culture, and such selections have resulted in the isolation of phenotypically and genetically altered plants. Second, cell culture techniques have allowed for the transfer of resistance genes from wild species to agronomically important crops. This approach is limited presently to transfer by protoplast fusion or by ovule and embryo culture, but recent advances in plant transformation techniques may allow for the transfer of genetic information through a suitable vector or through the uptake of isolated DNA some time in the near future. Finally, there is growing evidence that plant cell culture itself can generate stable, heritable variations which are useful for crop improvement.