A UK banana transformation capability for
Developing Countries Applications
Philippe Vain – John Innes Centre
Banana (Musa spp.) is the number one fruit crop in the World.
Approximately 90% of total production is used for domestic consumption and
banana is a staple food for at least 400 million people. The major constraints
in banana production are diseases, pests and obstacles to breeding inherent in
banana biology (triploidy, low levels of fertility and a long life cycle).
This makes biotechnological approaches, in particular genetic engineering,
especially attractive.
Technologies have been developed for banana transformation at the John Innes
Centre (Norwich, UK). Shoot tip cultures were used for the production
of AAA highland Ugandan banana plants and immature inflorescences at the
Centre. Embryogenic calli and cell suspension cultures have been successfully
produced from immature flowers. Banana plants were regenerated from these
embryogenic cell suspension (ECS) at very high frequency. Transformed banana
plants were produced and transgene structure and expression have been
monitored in these plants. Such technology will be used to support publicly
funded research on banana improvement.