Transformation of the Carrot Plastid Genome

Introduction

Carrots are an important nutritional crop worldwide for human and animal consumption. Carrots are rich in vitamins A and C, as well as fiber. Additionally, carrots are salt-sensitive plants, and their growth decreases when salt increases. Therefore, carrots are ideal candidates for genetic manipulation to improve salt tolerance. Its storage capacity and biennial life cycle also make it an attractive species for the introduction of foreign genes, especially for the oral delivery of vaccines and other therapeutic proteins. Using the betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) selectable marker gene, guided by chloroplast genetic engineering, the researchers conferred extremely high levels of salt tolerance in carrot roots. Carrots were also the first crop to be used to demonstrate somatic embryogenesis and serve as a model for other plant species.

Fig. 1. Transformation of the carrot plastid genome. (Daniell H, et al., 2005)

Our Services

Most chloroplast transformation is achieved by organogenesis with green leaves as explants. Meanwhile, most economically important crops undergo regeneration through somatic embryogenesis when grown in vitro. Lifeasible has achieved efficient carrot chloroplast transformation through somatic embryogenesis. Here, we use the aadA gene as a selectable marker and the BADH gene to confer salt tolerance to provide professional carrot plastid transformation services. In addition, our engineers built a phylogenetic tree using DNA sequences from shared plastid genes to provide complete carotoplast genome sequence information. Endogenous flanking sequences and regulatory elements were also utilized to improve transformation efficiency and exogenous gene expression in carrots.

Carrot somatic embryos are derived from single cells, propagate through repeated embryogenesis, and can be maintained in vitro for several years. Therefore, we can also provide services for the production of therapeutic proteins using somatic embryogenesis technology for the transformation of carrot chloroplasts. The genetically modified carrots we produce with enhanced medicinal or nutritional value are widely used for enhanced medicinal value.

Advantages of Carrot Plastid Transformation Using Somatic Embryogenesis

• Achieving zero pollution of food crops by chloroplast gene transformation, and meet the requirements of various regulatory agencies.
• Improving gene transformation efficiency and resistance gene expression in carrots.
• Carrot cells divide rapidly and can produce large amounts of biomass using bioreactors.
• When the therapeutic protein is delivered by carrot cells, no cooking is required, maintaining the structural integrity of the therapeutic protein during consumption.
• Using synthetic seed technology, somatic embryos can be cryopreserved for many years.
• Playing a vital role in enhancing medicinal value and human health.

Lifeasible has successfully used somatic embryogenesis technology to transform chloroplasts through plastid genomes in a variety of crops. With our team's extensive experience in somatic embryogenic chloroplast transformation, we are able to provide carrot plastid genome transformation services to customers around the world. If you are interested in our services, please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.

References

1. Daniell H, Kumar S, Dufourmantel N. (2005) Breakthrough in chloroplast genetic engineering of agronomically important crops[J]. TRENDS in Biotechnology. 23(5): 238-245.
2. Ruhlman T, Lee S B, Jansen R K, et al. (2006) Complete plastid genome sequence of Daucus carota: implications for biotechnology and phylogeny of angiosperms[J]. BMC genomics. 7(1): 1-13.