Can Prunus serotina be Genetically Engineered for Reproductive Sterility and Insect Pest Resistance?

Abstract

Black cherry (Prunus serotina) is a valuable hardwood timber species, and its value highly depends on the wood quality which is often threatened by insect pests. Transgenic black cherry plants that are more resistant to cambial-mining insects may reduce the occurrence of gummosis and have great economic benefits to landowners and the forest products industries utilizing black cherry lumber and logs. In this review, general information about black cherry and the problem of gummosis are introduced. The various strategies for gene containment, the possibility of using cyanogenesis to enhance host resistance, and the current status of micropropagation, adventitious shoot regeneration, rooting, and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in P. serotina and several other Prunus species are briefly discussed.