Transgenic Plants in Dicotyledons - Despite the totipotency of plant cells, thus obviating the need of transforming specifically the germ line cells as required in animals, the production of large number of transformed plants was, till recently (in 1980's), restricted mainly to tobacco, petunia or tomato of the family Solanaceae.

There are, however, recent reports of transgenic plants from other dicotyledonous families like Cruciferae, Leguminosae, etc. and from monocotyledonous families like Liliaceae and Gramineae. Some of these examples, where transgenes of economic value have been utilized are included, and will be described in this section.