DNA Delivery Systems

Plant transformation technology has become a powerful tool for functional analysis of genes and for genetically improving agronomic traits. Introduction of foreign DNA into plant cells is referred to as plant DNA delivery. The success of introducing chimeric genes into plant cells lies in the choice of appropriate and efficient methods of DNA delivery. Over the past three decades, a number of methods have been developed to introduce DNA into plant species, including the most extensively used Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and particle bombardment. Each method encompasses its own advantages and limitations. Advances and modifications have been made by researchers around the world to make the currently available delivery methods more efficient and reproducible. In this chapter, we provide an overview of different plant DNA delivery methods along with their basic principles and procedures, modifications over time, their usefulness and prospects.