.png)
Adult abaca lines derived from tissue culture, maintained
for in planta transformation. (Image Credit: CRD, DOST-PCAARRD)
A simpler and cost-efficient transformation protocol to hasten abaca varietal development is being explored in a project by experts at the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Diliman (NIMBB-UPD).
Supported by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), the initiative aims to accelerate the development of high quality, stress-tolerant abaca varieties by reducing reliance on conventional tissue culture-based transformation methods.
Unlike traditional approaches, in planta transformation or a process within the plant, a foreign DNA is directly introduced into an intact and established plant thus, minimizing labor, time, and resource requirements while reducing risks of contamination and unwanted genetic variation. The protocol also incorporates a non-invasive “visual reporter” system, allowing rapid and efficient identification of successfully transformed plants through visible markers.
During the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) review, Dr. Jose Ramon G. Planta, project leader, reported the successful introduction of visual reporter and developmental regulator genes into a bacterial vector designed for gene delivery in abaca.
Project Leader Dr. Jose Ramon G. Planta (center); S&T consultant Dr. Ernelea P. Cao
(3rd from right); and key project staff from NIMBB, UP Diliman during the Y1 Annual
Project Review of “In Planta Transformation of Abaca (Musa textilis Née) with a
Visual Reporter: A Proof of Concept.”
To validate the plant transformation protocol, initial inoculation trials using the transformed bacterium were also conducted on tobacco as a test plant. The team observed red pigmentation in treated tobacco plants, indicating the successful gene integration through the visual marker system and demonstrating the functionality of the protocol.
According to Dr. Planta, further experiments are ongoing to optimize this transformation protocol for abaca to make it more suitable and efficient.
The project will also assess the stability and heritability of introduced traits to ensure their reliability and suitability for potential commercial use.
By ensuring the efficiency of the technology, the project hopes for an accelerated development of improved abaca lines with enhanced fiber quality and tolerance to various stresses.
DOST-PCAARRD Crops Research Division (CRD) Director Leilani D. Pelegrina commended the project team members for their active efforts, and emphasized the importance of generating scientific contributions and knowledge products that could hasten the advancement of abaca production and support its long-term industry development.
Also present during the review were the NIMBB project team, DOST-PCAARRD’s Industry Strategic S&T Program (ISP) Manager for Abaca, Ms. Kristine Joy P. de Guzman; Supervising Science Research Specialist of the DOST-PCAARRD Office of the Executive Director for R&D (OED-RD), Dr. Jeselle S. Laranas; CRD staff members; and S&T consultant and UP Diliman Professor Emeritus Dr. Ernelea P. Cao, who served as technical evaluator.