Genetic Engineering of Eggplant (<i>Solanum melongena</i> L.): Progress, Controversy and Potential
Eggplant (<i>Solanum melongena</i>) is the third most important vegetable in Asia and of considerable importance in the Mediterranean belt. Although global eggplant production has been increasing in recent years, productivity is limited due to insects, diseases, and abiotic stresses. Gen...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Horticulturae |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/7/4/78 |
| _version_ | 1827695373990232064 |
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| author | Iftekhar Alam Md Salimullah |
| author_facet | Iftekhar Alam Md Salimullah |
| author_sort | Iftekhar Alam |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Eggplant (<i>Solanum melongena</i>) is the third most important vegetable in Asia and of considerable importance in the Mediterranean belt. Although global eggplant production has been increasing in recent years, productivity is limited due to insects, diseases, and abiotic stresses. Genetic engineering offers new traits to eggplant, such as seedless parthenocarpic fruits, varieties adapted to extreme climatic events (i.e., sub- or supra-optimal temperatures), transcription factor regulation, overexpressing osmolytes, antimicrobial peptides, <i>Bacillus</i><i>thuringiensis</i> (<i>Bt</i>) endotoxins, etc. Such traits either do not occur naturally in eggplant or are difficult to incorporate by conventional breeding. With controversies, <i>Bt</i>-expressing eggplant varieties resistant to eggplant fruit and shoot borers have already been adopted for commercial cultivation in Bangladesh. However, to maximize the benefits of transgenic technology, future studies should emphasize testing transgenic plants under conditions that mimic field conditions and focus on the plant’s reproductive stage. In addition, the availability of the whole genome sequence, along with an efficient in vitro regeneration system and suitable morphological features, would make the eggplant an alternative model plant in which to study different aspects of plant biology in the near future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:25:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cba5018661b84a8eaceff841857cf282 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2311-7524 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:25:28Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Horticulturae |
| spelling | doaj.art-cba5018661b84a8eaceff841857cf2822023-11-21T15:05:14ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242021-04-01747810.3390/horticulturae7040078Genetic Engineering of Eggplant (<i>Solanum melongena</i> L.): Progress, Controversy and PotentialIftekhar Alam0Md Salimullah1Plant Biotechnology Division, National Institute of Biotechnology, Ganakbari, Ashulia, Savar, Dhaka 1349, BangladeshMolecular Biotechnology Division, National Institute of Biotechnology, Ganakbari, Ashulia, Savar, Dhaka 1349, BangladeshEggplant (<i>Solanum melongena</i>) is the third most important vegetable in Asia and of considerable importance in the Mediterranean belt. Although global eggplant production has been increasing in recent years, productivity is limited due to insects, diseases, and abiotic stresses. Genetic engineering offers new traits to eggplant, such as seedless parthenocarpic fruits, varieties adapted to extreme climatic events (i.e., sub- or supra-optimal temperatures), transcription factor regulation, overexpressing osmolytes, antimicrobial peptides, <i>Bacillus</i><i>thuringiensis</i> (<i>Bt</i>) endotoxins, etc. Such traits either do not occur naturally in eggplant or are difficult to incorporate by conventional breeding. With controversies, <i>Bt</i>-expressing eggplant varieties resistant to eggplant fruit and shoot borers have already been adopted for commercial cultivation in Bangladesh. However, to maximize the benefits of transgenic technology, future studies should emphasize testing transgenic plants under conditions that mimic field conditions and focus on the plant’s reproductive stage. In addition, the availability of the whole genome sequence, along with an efficient in vitro regeneration system and suitable morphological features, would make the eggplant an alternative model plant in which to study different aspects of plant biology in the near future.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/7/4/78eggplant<i>Solanum melongena</i>genetic engineering<i>Agrobacterium</i>transgenic plant |
| spellingShingle | Iftekhar Alam Md Salimullah Genetic Engineering of Eggplant (<i>Solanum melongena</i> L.): Progress, Controversy and Potential Horticulturae eggplant <i>Solanum melongena</i> genetic engineering <i>Agrobacterium</i> transgenic plant |
| title | Genetic Engineering of Eggplant (<i>Solanum melongena</i> L.): Progress, Controversy and Potential |
| title_full | Genetic Engineering of Eggplant (<i>Solanum melongena</i> L.): Progress, Controversy and Potential |
| title_fullStr | Genetic Engineering of Eggplant (<i>Solanum melongena</i> L.): Progress, Controversy and Potential |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genetic Engineering of Eggplant (<i>Solanum melongena</i> L.): Progress, Controversy and Potential |
| title_short | Genetic Engineering of Eggplant (<i>Solanum melongena</i> L.): Progress, Controversy and Potential |
| title_sort | genetic engineering of eggplant i solanum melongena i l progress controversy and potential |
| topic | eggplant <i>Solanum melongena</i> genetic engineering <i>Agrobacterium</i> transgenic plant |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/7/4/78 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT iftekharalam geneticengineeringofeggplantisolanummelongenailprogresscontroversyandpotential AT mdsalimullah geneticengineeringofeggplantisolanummelongenailprogresscontroversyandpotential |