Plant Genetics

Plant Genetics is the study of plant genes, heredity, and genetic variations in plants. It is the sub-field of botany. Plant Genetics helps us to understand the genetic makeup of plants. It also involves understanding genetic information that passes from one generation to another and the development and functioning of plants in various environments. Plant genetics research significantly impacts economics by modifying staple crops, increasing yields, providing disease and insect resistance, herbicide resistance, and improving nutritional value.

Plant Genetics and its Lineage

Plant genetics is itself a separate branch of botany that involves:

1. Genetic Variation: It is a study of variation in plant genes within the species and factors that are responsible for genetic variations in plant population.
2. Inheritance: Genetic inheritance is how one information from the parents gets transferred to daughter cells.
3. Genetic Manipulation: It is a method to manipulate plant genes using plant breeding and methods of genetic engineering such as CRISPR tool.
4. Genetic Mapping: Mapping of specific genes is important for any plant geneticist to identify the location, so that it can be isolated, and manipulation can be done accordingly.
5. Genomic Sequencing: It involves the nucleic acid sequencing of plant genome to study its potential use in agriculture.
6. Molecular Genetics: It involves the study of gene expression of plant growing in various environment, gene regulation and functions of gene in plants.

History of Plant Genetics

History of plant genetics is as follows:

1. Plant Genetics was started with the George Mendels, who was born on 20th of July in 1822 in Austria Hungary.
2. He is known as “Father of Genetics” because of his work on pea plant and showed the inheritence of particular traits and named as Mendel’s law of Inheritence.
3. W.E. Castle showed that seperation and selection of individual traits over time.
4. G.H. Hardy and W. Weinberg, gave the concept of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in 1908.
5. Nils and Heribert-Nilsson showed that crossing plants and creation of hybrids results in heterosis and hybrid vigor.

Properties of Plant related to Genetics

Properties of plant related to genetics includes the following:

1. Plants have nucleic acid through which they pass on the genetic traits to the offsprings.
2. Plants have a unique feature that they have choloroplast, which has its own DNA like mitochondria have.
3. Plants undergo somatic mutation on regular basis .
4. Plants are self fertile means some plants have both male and female organs, which make them enable to self reproduce.
5. Plants can survive and bloom themselves as polyploids. Polyploids are those organisms which have 2 sets of homologous chromosomes.
6. Polyploids organism are self fertile and give rise to new offsprings.
7. Polyploids plants have larger fruits, numerous in numbers and are very economical. For instance, potato, peanuts, wheat, maize, strawberries and tobacco.

Model Plants for Plant Genetics

These are list of model plants on which genetic engeenering is performed. These are as follows:

Arabidopsis thaliana

Arabidopsis thaliana has following features:

1. It has been the model plant for the century in the field of plant genetics.
2. It is the first plant to get its whole genome sequenced in 2000 years.
3. It has a small genome, which makes its sequencing more possible.
4. Its genome size is 125 Mbp and have 25000 of genes.
5. It has its own database which is known as The Arabidopsis Information Resources (TAIR).
6. There are various researches which has been done or being in the process like genetic manipulation, biotic and abiotic resistance study.

Brachypodium distachyon

Brachypodium distachyon has following features:

1. It is model grass and many research have been performed on this due its excellence as temperate cereals.
2. Brachypodium is a diploid and have genome size of 355 Mbp.
3. It life cycle is small thus making it ideal for plant genetic study.

Nicotiana benthamiana

Nicotiana benthamiana has following features:

1. It is also an ideal plant model for genetic study related to plant- pathogen interactions and transgenic approaches.
2. It has a broad and larger leaf which makes Agrobacterium tumefaciens to infect it easily.
3. Nicotiana is used for expression of pathogens and new traits as well.

There are other organisms also who are actively involved in Plant Genetics, which includes

• Alga- Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
• Moss – Physcomitrella patens
• Clover – Medicago truncatula
• Snapdragon – Antirrhinum majus
• C4 Grass – Setaria viridis
• Maize

Genetically Modified Crops

GM crops are those crops which has been altered by inducing gene of interest using genetic engineering such as CRISPR tool. Genetic engineering allow to introduce gene of interest in selected crop and have better control over it.

Benefits of GM crop

Benefits of GM crop includes:

1. GM crops can complete increasing demands of population.
2. GM crops are resistance to pathogen attack and herbicides.
3. They also have genetically induced vitamin A such rice to erase its deficiency in poor people.
4. They have more nutritional values.

Examples of GM Crops

Examples of GM crops includes:

1. Soybean: Resistance to herbicides and insects
2. Potato: Resistance to insects, prevent browning
3. Alfa Alfa: Resistance to herbicides
4. Papaya: Resistance to ring spot virus disease
5. GM cotton: Resistance to pests
6. GM rice: Rich in Vitamin A

Genetic Technologies to Modify Plants

Genetic Technologies to Modify Plants are:

Gene Gun Method

Gene gun method has following features:

• It is also refered to as biolistics and has been used on monocot plants including corn and rice for in-vivo transformation.
• Gene gun priciples works on shooting of required gene directly into the plant cell and chloroplast.
• Gene of interest is coated with gold (2um) metal to protect it. Gold metal containing gene is situated in vaccum and below of it plant tissue to be engineered is placed.
• Gold particle moves with the high velocity unger high helium gas pressure into the targel cell or tissue.

Importance of Plant Genetics

Plant Genetics is important not only in the field of agricultre but also in ecology. Here are the some importance of plant genetics.

1. Crop improvements: It has been widely used in the field of agriculture to improve crops with desired characteristics such as high yields, resistance to pests, high nutrition, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
2. Conservation of biodiversity: It can help to conserve the indangered plant species to prevent ecosystem from falling down.
3. Medicine and pharmaceuticals:nPlant has been used for their medicinal properties from the ancient time. Scientist can used genetic engeenring to increase the production metabolites in plants.
4. Environmental sustainability: Plant have been used to decrease the increasing environmental pollution. Ability of absorbing pollutants can be increases via gene editing.

FAQs about Plant Genetics

1. What is Meant by Plant Genetics?

Plant genetics delves into genes, genetic variation, and heredity in plants, bridging biology and botany with other life sciences. Its intersection with information systems adds complexity to understanding how genetic information manifests in plant life.

2. How do Plant Genetics Work?

Plants, like other sexually reproducing organisms, inherit a set of chromosomes from each parent. To pass on a desirable trait, such as pest or drought resistance, the plant must possess the same genetic variant on both chromosomes.

3. What is Plant Genetic Make Up?

An organism’s genetic makeup, or genome, consists of DNA, found in all plants and animals. Genes, specific DNA regions, typically hold instructions for protein synthesis, defining the plant’s characteristics.

4. Why is Plant Genetics Important?

Enhanced affordability of fruits and vegetables, increased availability of staple crops for meat and dairy production, sustainable energy sources development, and minimized agriculture-related pollution.

5. What is an Example of a Plant Genetics?

Plants are crossbred to incorporate specific traits or genes from one variety into a new genetic background. For instance, a mildew-resistant pea can be crossed with a high-yield but susceptible pea, aiming to introduce mildew resistance while retaining the high-yield traits.