Crops that have been genetically modified (GM) include additional beneficial traits that present fresh approaches to boosting yield productivity and sustainable agriculture. Transformation and regeneration are the two main steps in the production of GM crops. Antibiotic resistance marker genes (ARMGs) must be used for selection because crops have very little ability to transform. Significant global concerns about the security of both human health and the environment have been raised by the use of ARMGs in the production of GM foods or for therapeutic purposes. A rise in antimicrobial resistance is the biggest danger, according to recent research. Due to a lack of information on alternate methods, ARMGs are still employed in the production of GM crops today. The creation of GM crops without ARMGs using alternative methods is crucial to addressing the safety issue. This review discusses current methods for producing GM crops free of ARMGs, or "clean-gene" technology. These methods' benefits and drawbacks are also discussed. One of them, positive selection by phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) system of different plants, has been optimized and subjected to full risk assessment and is more productive than conventional protocols that employ ARMGs. This information will be useful for enhancing breeding programs, producing safe human food, and increasing support for GM crops among the general public.
Keywords: Antibiotic; GM crops; Genetically modified; Marker-free; Selectable marker; Transformation.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.