Technical Advances in Chloroplast Biotechnology

Abstract

Chloroplasts are highly organized cellular organelles after master organelle nucleus. They not only play a central role in photosynthesis but are also involved in several crucial cellular activities. Advancements in molecular biology and transgenic technology have further groomed importance of the organelle, and they are the most ideal ones for the expression of transgene. No doubt, limitations are there, but still research is advancing to resolve those. Certain valuable traits have been engineered for improved agronomic performance of crop plants. Industrial enzymes and therapeutic proteins have been expressed using plastid transformation system. Synthetic biology has been explored to play a key role in engineering metabolic pathways. Further, producing dsRNA in a plant's chloroplast rather than in its cellular cytoplasm is more effective way to address desired traits. In this chapter, we highlight technological advancements in chloroplast biotechnology and its implication to develop biosafe engineered plants.

Plastid Transformation: How Does it Work? Can it Be Applied to Crops? What Can it Offer?

“…Fourth, the chloroplast employs a prokaryotic gene expression system and allows the easy and simultaneous expression of polycistronic genes [12]. Last, the stacking of multiple transgenes can be performed in a single and highly efficient transformation event [13]. Plastid transformation is, therefore, gaining traction [14].…”