REVIEW article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Biotechnology
Genotype-flexible plant genetic transformation: advances and prospects
Yajie Guo 1
Mengyao Li 1
Mengtian Liu 1
Huiyun Liu 1,2
1. Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
2. Henan Agricultural University State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Zhengzhou, China
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Abstract
Genetic transformation of elite crop varieties remains limited by genotype-specific recalcitrance and dependence on tissue culture. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of current transformation platforms and emerging strategies to overcome these bottlenecks. We examine traditional Agrobacterium-mediated and biolistic methods, then critically assess tissue culture-free approaches including floral-based delivery, cut-dip-budding, in planta injection, and viral vector-mediated transformation systems. A major focus is the deployment of developmental regulators—WUS/BBM, GRF-GIF chimeras, DOF transcription factors, LAX1, PLT, and WIND1—that enhance regeneration efficiency across genotypes. We detail their molecular mechanisms, from chromatin remodeling and auxin gradient establishment to wound-responsive cell reprogramming. Importantly, we address the pleiotropic developmental costs of DR misexpression and review precision control technologies, including promoter optimization and auto-excision systems, that enable transient DRs activity during regeneration while ensuring normal plant development. We propose a roadmap for integrating these advances to achieve genotype-flexible, high-throughput transformation applicable to molecular design breeding.
Summary
Keywords
Developmental regulators, gene editing, genetic transformation, genotype-flexible dependence, plant
Received
13 January 2026
Accepted
19 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Guo, Li, Liu and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Huiyun Liu
Disclaimer
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