Cell cycle genes and somatic embryogenesis of oil palm: potential roles
PARAMESWARI Namasivayam , MEILINA ONG Abdullah , HARIKRISHNA KulaveerasingamOne of the distinguishing features of plant development in comparison to the animal system is the absence of cellular migration during embryo development and the fact that most organs are formed during post-embryonic development. It is clear that cell division and expansion are essential processes for plant growth. As such, the plant cell division cycle is a challenging area and useful target for genetic manipulation. The spatial and temporal manipulation of cell division will allow us to modify plant architecture, important agronomic traits, such as growth rate and yield, as well as to control aspects of the plant’s response to environmental perturbations. To a certain extent, this has been achieved by breeding where architecture and yield characteristics have been selected for. However, with the ability to control cell division and with its proper integration in plant development (differentiation), more complex manipulations can be engineered. In this review, a general overview of the eukaryotic cell division cycle is discussed briefly and the possible roles of cell cycle regulators during somatic embryogenesis of the oil palm are discussed.
Tags: SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS, EMBRYOGENESIS, MPOB PUBLICATIONS, TISSUE CULTURE, oil palm
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