MUMBAI, India, Aug. 17 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202511003664 A) filed by National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute on January 16, 2025, for An Improved Method Unveiling The Role Of Banana-Derived Developmental Regulators For Efficient Genetic Transformation And Regeneration In Plants And Its Method Thereof.
Inventors include Siddharth Tiwari; Roni Chaudhary; and Surender Singh.
The application for the patent was published on August 14, 2026, under issue no. 33/2026.
Abstract: Genetic engineering has transformed agriculture but continues to face substantial challenges due to the limited regeneration capacities of many plant species, notably recalcitrant species. In addition, optimizing hormonal concentrations for varied plant species or their specific parts remains a major bottleneck, towards improving transformation and regeneration capacities. This study highlights these challenges by overexpressing MaWOX6 and co-expressing it with MaWUS2 and MaBBM2, morphogenic genes derived from Musa acuminata (cv. Grand Naine), in Nicotiana tabacum and banana (cv. Grand Naine) cell lines. The genes were introduced by using an eGFP-tagged pCAMBIA1302 vector under the control of the CaMV35S promoter. Transformed tissues demonstrated enhanced somatic embryogenesis and shoot regeneration on MS basal medium without exogenous plant growth regulators. The eGFP expression was observed in all tissue culture stages developed after transformation with MaWOX6-eGFP and with co-expression of MaWUS2_eGFP post-transformation, validated through high-resolution fluorescence imaging techniques such as Thunder and confocal microscopy, as well as histological analysis via microtomy. The genetic regulation of transformed tissues undergoing cellular differentiation was investigated by analyzing the transcript accumulation of key genes associated with hormonal pathways responsible for somatic embryogenesis and regeneration by using quantitative real-time PCR. This approach offers a robust and reliable strategy to enhance regeneration and transformation efficiencies, presenting new opportunities for genetic modification in recalcitrant plant species and expanding biotechnological applications across diverse plant systems.
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