Torenia fournieri (torenia) as a model plant for transgenic studies

Abstract

Torenia is an annual plant of the family Scrophulariaceae that is used as an ornamental summer bedding plant. Torenia is also an experimental plant with several useful characteristics, i.e., ease of genetic transformation, ability to differentiate adventitious structures, protruding embryo sac, and capacity for in vitro flowering. Genetic transformation of torenia was first reported in 1995, and it has been used in various transgenic studies. Torenia is a useful model plant for transgenic studies on ornamental plant characteristics such as the color, shape, and longevity of flowers. In this paper, the characteristics of torenia as an experimental plant and the transgenic studies performed with torenia are reviewed.