Synchronization of somatic embryogenesis in a carrot cell suspension culture

Synchronization of somatic embryogenesis was achieved in a carrot (Daucus carota L. cv. “Kurodagosun”) suspension culture by sieving the initial heterogeneous cell population, by density gradient centrifugation in Ficoll solutions, and by subsequent repeated centrifugations at a low speed (50g) for a short time (5 seconds), followed by transferring the cell clusters obtained, which were composed of 3 to 10 cells, to a medium containing zeatin (0.1 micromolar) but no auxin. The frequency of embryo formation reached more than 90%, and synchrony of the embryogenetic process was observed at least in the early stages of the process. The system established in the present work provides a useful system for biochemical research into the mechanisms of somatic embryogenesis.     

Kinetics of Determination in the Differentiation of Isolated Mesophyll Cells of Zinnia elegans to Tracheary Elements

Mechanically isolated mesophyll cells of Zinnia elegans L. cv Envy differentiate to tracheary elements when cultured in inductive medium containing 0.5 micromolar α-naphthaleneacetic acid and 0.5 micromolar benzyladenine. The cells do not differentiate when cultured in medium in which the concentration of auxin and/or cytokinin has been reduced to 0.005 micromolar. Cells require an initial 24-hour exposure to inductive cytokinin and 56-hour exposure to inductive auxin for differentiation at 72 hours of culture. Freshly isolated Zinnia cells can be maintained in medium having low concentrations of both auxin and cytokinin for only 1 day without significant loss of potential to differentiate upon transfer to inductive medium. Initial culture for up to 2 days in medium having high auxin and low cytokinin, or low auxin and high cytokinin, allows full differentiation on the third day after transfer to inductive medium and potentiates the early differentiation of some cells.     

Synchronization of somatic embryogenesis from carrot cells at high frequency as a basis for the mass production of embryos

Synchronization of somatic embryogenesis at high frequency is a useful system for the mass production of embryos. Many attempts have been carried out, however, it was difficult to obtain the system in which most of the initial embryogenic cells or cell clusters synchronously differentiate to embryos. In carrot suspension cultures, high frequency, synchronous embryogenesis systems (following three systems) have been established.(1) Small spherical single cells from suspension cultures obtained by sieving and density gradient centrifugation in Percoll solutions differentiated to embryogenic cell clusters at high frequency when they were cultured in a medium containing 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (0.05 micromolar), zeatin (1 micromolar) and mannitol (0.2 molar). (2) Embryogenic cell clusters from suspension cultures obtained by sieving, density gradient centrifugation in Ficoll solutions, and subsequent centrifugation at a low speed for a short time synchronously differentiated to embryos, especially globular embryos at high frequency, when they were cultured in a medium containing zeatin (0.1 micromolar) but no auxin. (3) Embryogenic cell clusters obtained by above method are cultured at cell densities of 2×10³ cell clusters ml^-1. Globular embryos which were sieved from embryos induced synchronously differentiated to torpedo-shaped embryos at high frequency when they were cultured at densities below 150 globular embryos ml^-1.Using these systems, the whole process of embryogenesis from single cells to whole plants could be synchronously induced at high frequency.Abbreviations ABA abscissic acid - 2,4-d 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - GA₃ gibberellin A₃ - IAA indoleacetic acid - NAA naphthylacetic acid     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In vitro</Emphasis> regeneration through somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis using cotyledons of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cassia angustifolia</Emphasis> Vahl

In vitro regeneration through somatic embryogenesis as well as organogenesis using cotyledon of a woody medicinal legume, Cassia angustifolia is reported. The cotyledons dissected from semi-mature seeds, if inoculated on Murashige and Skoog’s medium (MS) supplemented with auxin alone or in combination with cytokinin, produced direct and indirect somatic embryos. A maximum of 14.36 ± 2.26 somatic embryos per 20 mg of explants including callus were produced in 70% cultures on MS medium with 2.5 μM benzyladenine (BA) + 10 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Although the percentage of embryogenic cultures was higher (83.33%) at 10 μM 2,4-D + 1 μM BA, the average number of somatic embryos was much less (7.6 ± 0.85) at this level, whereas at 2.5 μM BA and 5 μM 2,4-D, there was a simultaneous formation of both somatic embryos and shoots. The somatic embryos, although started germinating on the same medium, developed into full plantlets only if transferred to MS basal with 2% sucrose. Cytokinins alone did not induce somatic embryogenesis, but formed multiple shoots. Five micromolar BA proved optimum for recurrently inducing shoots in the competent callus with a maximum average of 12.04 ± 2.10 shoots and shoot length of 2.26 ± 0.03 cm. Nearly 91.6% shoots (2–2.5 cm in size) organized an average of 5.12 ± 0.58 roots on half strength MS + 10 μM indole-3-butyric acid. All the plantlets have been transferred successfully to soil. Types of auxin and its interaction with cytokinin significantly influenced somatic embryogenesis.     

Effect of anti-microtubular drug amiprophos-methyl on somatic embryogenesis and DNA ploidy levels in alfalfa and carrot cell suspension cultures

A short treatment with the anti-microtubular drug amiprophos-methyl (APM) blocked somatic embryogenesis in alfalfa(Medicago sativa L.) and carrot (Daucus carota L.). The interruption was temporary and restoration of somatic embryogenesis was observed in long-term cultures. In addition to the effect on somatic embryogenesis, APM treatment induced polyploidization the extent of which was concentration dependent. In long-term alfalfa cultures, APM-induced loss of somatic embryogenesis led to ploidy instability and to a shift to DNA aneuploidy. Critical stages of somatic embryogenesis sensitive to disruption of microtubule-mediated processes were determined in carrot cell cultures. Complete embryogenic arrest occurred when APM was added within the first 5 d of embryogenesis from single cells. The role of the cytoskeleton in the first events of somatic embryogenesis and the relation between totipotency and ploidy stabilityin vitro is discussed.     

The rates of deceleration of nuclear and organellar DNA syntheses differ in the progenitor cells of the apical meristems during carrot somatic embryogenesis

 The synthesis of DNA in nuclei and organellar nucleoids at the various stages of somatic embryogenesis in carrot (Daucus carota L. cv. Kurodagosun) was analyzed using anti-5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunofluorescence microscopy. The active syntheses of both nuclear and organellar DNA started in the cells forming the embryo proper 3 d after the initiation of embryogenesis, but not in cells forming suspensor-like cell aggregates. In the early globular embryo, active DNA syntheses were continuously observed in the whole embryo proper, except for the progenitor cells of the root apical meristem (RAM) and shoot apical meristem (SAM). These were recognized as slowly cycling cells with a non-BrdU-labelled nucleus and strongly BrdU-labelled organellar nucleoids. At the heart- and torpedo-shaped embryo stages, both nuclear and organellar DNA syntheses were inactive in the presumptive RAM and SAM. Thus, slowing down of organellar DNA synthesis is not coupled with, but is later than, that of nuclear DNA synthesis in the progenitor cells of the embryonic RAM and SAM. These findings clearly indicate that the timing of DNA synthesis is similar in the progenitor cells of both the RAM and SAM in the early stages of somatic embryogenesis. Received: 18 January 2000 / Accepted: 2 March 2000     

Morphoregulatory role of thidiazuron : substitution of auxin and cytokinin requirement for the induction of somatic embryogenesis in geranium hypocotyl cultures

Somatic embryogenesis was induced in hypocotyl explants of geranium (Pelargonium × hortorum) cultured on media supplemented with various concentrations of N-phenyl-N′-1,2,3-thiadiazol-5-ylurea (thidiazuron). In less than 2 weeks, somatic embryos were observed in treatments containing levels of thidiazuron (TDZ) ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 micromolar. The use of N⁶-benzylaminopurine in combination with indole-3-acetic acid also evoked embryogenesis, but the efficiency of somatic embryo production was significantly lower than that obtained with TDZ. Hypocotyl culture for only 2 days on TDZ-supplemented medium before transfer to a basal medium was sufficient for inducing somatic embryogenesis. This distinction between the induction and expression of embryogenesis may provide an experimental system for studying the developmental biology of somatic embryogenesis. Substitution of the auxin-cytokinin requirement for the induction of somatic embryogenesis by TDZ suggests the possibility of a novel mode of its action by modulation of endogenous growth regulators.     

Influence des régulateurs de croissance sur la teneur des tissus en polyamines libres lors de l'induction de l'embryogenèse somatique chez le fenouil (Foeniculum vulgare Miller)

When fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller) petiole explants were grown on an auxin-containing medium, somatic embryogenesis was induced after 3–4 weeks. The free polyamine content of tissues progressively increased during the first month of culture and then decreased. These variations mainly concerned putrescine, which was the major polyamine. The polyamine level rose proportionnally to the auxin strength and concentration. However, a high auxin level (2,4-D), or cytokinin addition to the medium (Kin or BAP), though inducing polyamine accumulation, caused an inhibition of embryogenesis induction. Polyamines also increased in non-embryogenic expiants grown in vitro on a medium devoid of auxin. Thus, the acquisition by tissues of the ability to produce somatic embryos was not induced by the endogenous polyamine level variations. The discussion lays emphasis on factors liable to cause a temporary accumulation of polyamines in tissues.     

High-frequency embryogenesis and regeneration of plants with high content of gentiopicroside from the Chinese medicinal plant Gentiana straminea Maxim.

Gentiana straminea Maxim. (MahuaQinjiao) is an important Chinese medicinal herb that is rich in secoiridoids. To increase the production of this plant, we have developed an efficient tissue culture system for high-frequency plant regeneration. We have also obtained plants with high secoiridoid monomer production through tissue culture and somatic embryogenesis. We have found that the MB medium is better than the B5 medium for callus induction. Calluses induced from immature seeds are superior to those from hypocotyls or young leaves in regeneration via somatic embryogenesis. We have also demonstrated that 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid is efficient for both callus induction and embryogenesis, indole-3-acetic acid is suitable for embryogenic callus proliferation, and N ⁶-(benzyl)-adenine promotes both embryo development and the accumulation of gentiopicroside in the cultures. Regenerated plants have been selected for high gentiopicroside content. One plant contains 5.82% of gentiopicroside, which is higher than the control plants (1.20–3.73%). The regenerated plants are genetically more stable than the calluses based on both cytological and random amplified polymorphic DNA analyses.     

Influence of extracellular proteins,proteases and protease inhibitors on grapevine somatic embryogenesis

An embryogenic grapevine rootstock cell suspension, continuously grown in the presence of auxin, was predominantly composed of proembryogenic masses. When transferred to an auxin-free medium, grapevine somatic embryos developed but were rapidly blocked at the heart stage. This inhibition has been related to the presence of extracellular macromolecules (Coutos-Thévenot et al., 1992a). In this study, the initial cell population density has been found to influence markedly embryo development. Inoculations below 5·10³ cells per ml were required to obtain fully grown cotyledonary embryos. Interestingly, extracellular proteins of molecular weights of 32, 34, 48 and 52 kDa accumulated in cultures grown at high population cell densities and disappeared in cultures inoculated at densities below 5·10³ cells per ml. Protein fractions partially purified by ion exchange chromatography caused both an early inhibition of embryogenesis and a stimulation of secondary embryogenesis. Moreover, to test for the possibility of modulating embryo development through alterations of extracellular proteins, cultures were supplemented with proteases and protease inhibitors. The addition of trypsin increased the rate of embryo development only in cultures inoculated at a low cell population density. Conversely, the protease inhibitor aprotinin inhibited development, arresting embryos at globular and heart stages. Together, these results provide evidence that extracellular proteins modulate somatic embryogenesis and suggest that an extracellular proteolitic mechanism could be implicated in development. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Shoot apex explants for induction of somatic embryogenesis in mature Quercus robur L. trees

A procedure for inducing somatic embryos in shoot apex explants (2 mm) excised from shoot proliferation cultures established from adult oak trees (Quercus robur) was investigated. Embryogenesis was induced in shoot tip as well as leaf explants in three out of the five genotypes evaluated. Somatic embryos were formed by culture in induction medium supplemented with 21.48 μM naphthalene acetic acid and 2.22 μM benzyladenine for 8 weeks, and successive transfer of explants to expression media with a low concentration of growth regulators and without them. Both types of explants formed callus tissue from which somatic embryos developed, indicating indirect embryogenesis. Although the embryogenic frequencies were lower than 12%, it did not prevent the establishment of clonal embryogenic lines maintained by repetitive embryogenesis. Histological study confirmed an indirect somatic embryogenesis process from shoot tip explants, in which leaf primordia and the corresponding axial zones were involved in generating callus, whereas the apical meristem itself did not proliferate. The origin of embryogenic cells appeared to be associated with dedifferentiation of certain parenchymal cells in callus regions after transfer of explants to expression media without auxin. Division of embryogenic cells gave rise to proembryo aggregates of unicellular origin, although a multicellular origin from bulging embryogenic areas would also seem possible. Further development led to the formation of cotyledonary-stage somatic embryos and nodular embryogenic structures that may be considered as anomalous embryos with no clear bipolarity. Inducement of somatic embryos from explants isolated from shoot cultures ensures plant material all year round, thus providing a significant advantage over the use of leaf explants from field-grown trees.     

Synthesis of morphinane alkaloids during opium poppy somatic embryogenesis

Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) tissue cultures were examines by thin-layer and high performance liquid chromatography (TLC; HPLC) for qualitative and quantitative changes in morphinane alkaloid content during somatic embryogenesis. Somatic embryos were examined at weekley intervals over a 7-week induction and maturation period. Thebaine was the only morphinane positively identified in tissue extracts and in spent growth media. Neither morphine nor codeine were produced in detectable quantities during somatic embryogenesis. Production of thebaine was developmentally regulated, gradually increasing following the removal of auxin from the culture medium. Accumulation of this alkaloid in the growth medium paralleled its appearance in somatic embryos. Alkaloid synthesis in somatic embryos appeared to require a minimum level of organization that could also be disrupted by the spontaneous loss of embryogenic potential that was observed in some culture lines.     

Leafy cotyledon genes are essential for induction of somatic embryogenesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis</Emphasis>

The capacity for somatic embryogenesis was studied in lec1, lec2 and fus3 mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. It was found that contrary to the response of wild-type cultures, which produced somatic embryos via an efficient, direct process (65–94% of responding explants), lec mutants were strongly impaired in their embryogenic response. Cultures of the mutants formed somatic embryos at a low frequency, ranging from 0.0 to 3.9%. Moreover, somatic embryos were formed from callus tissue through an indirect route in the lec mutants. Total repression of embryogenic potential was observed in double (lec1 lec2, lec1 fus3, lec2 fus3) and triple (fus3 lec1 lec2) mutants. Additionally, mutants were found to exhibit efficient shoot regenerability via organogenesis from root explants. These results provide evidence that, besides their key role in controlling many different aspects of Arabidopsis zygotic embryogenesis, LEC/FUS genes are also essential for in vitro somatic embryogenesis induction. Furthermore, temporal and spatial patterns of auxin distribution during somatic embryogenesis induction were analyzed using transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing GUS driven by the DR5 promoter. Analysis of data indicated auxin accumulation was rapid in all tissues of the explants of both wild type and the lec2-1 mutant, cultured on somatic embryogenesis induction medium containing 2,4-D. This observation suggests that loss of embryogenic potential in the lec2 mutant in vitro is not related to the distribution of exogenously applied auxin and LEC genes likely function downstream in auxin-induced somatic embryogenesis.     

Auxin-induced WUS expression is essential for embryonic stem cell renewal during somatic embryogenesis in Arabidopsis

Somatic embryogenesis requires auxin and establishment of the shoot apical meristem (SAM). WUSCHEL ( WUS ) is critical for stem cell fate determination in the SAM of higher plants. However, regulation of WUS expression by auxin during somatic embryogenesis is poorly understood. Here, we show that expression of several regulatory genes important in zygotic embryogenesis were up-regulated during somatic embryogenesis of Arabidopsis. Interestingly, WUS expression was induced within the embryonic callus at a time when somatic embryos could not be identified morphologically or molecularly. Correct WUS expression, regulated by a defined critical level of exogenous auxin, is essential for somatic embryo induction. Furthermore, it was found that auxin gradients were established in specific regions that could then give rise to somatic embryos. The establishment of auxin gradients was correlated with the induced WUS expression. Moreover, the auxin gradients appear to activate PIN1 polar localization within the embryonic callus. Polarized PIN1 is probably responsible for the observed polar auxin transport and auxin accumulation in the SAM and somatic embryo. Suppression of WUS and PIN1 indicated that both genes are necessary for embryo induction through their regulation of downstream gene expression. Our results reveal that establishment of auxin gradients and PIN1-mediated polar auxin transport are essential for WUS induction and somatic embryogenesis. This study sheds new light on how auxin regulates stem cell formation during somatic embryogenesis.     

Biochemical and Cytological Analyses of RNA Synthesis in Kinetin-treated Pea Root Parenchyma

Excised cortical parenchyma from the pea root (cv. Little Marvel) responds to kinetin/auxin treatment with an increased rate of RNA synthesis well before reinitiating DNA synthesis. Few cells synthesize RNA in the 1st hour of culture. In the presence of kinetin/auxin, the nuclear labeling index increases 2.5-fold as compared to control cultures. The RNA synthesis response has an apparent lag period of 2-4 hours as shown by double label ([³H]adenosine/[¹⁴C]adenosine) experiments. Qualitatively, the RNA synthesized at 4-6 hours sediments between 18S and 5S. The RNA synthesized at 14-16 hours and 24-26 hours is primarily ribosomal RNA when kinetin is present. In the absence of kinetin, no clear pattern of RNA synthesis emerges.     

植物激素对体细胞胚胎发生的诱导与调节

以作者自己的工作为背景,结合国内外近几年的有关报道,综述了几种外源和内源激素对植物体细胞胚胎发生的诱导与调节作用。外源生长素和细胞分裂素是诱导离体培养细胞分化与增殖所必需的,2,4-D是诱导胚性愈伤组织的重要激素。在体细胞胚胎发生中内源激素含量和代谢的平衡起着关键的作用,而且外源和内源激素对诱导体细胞胚胎发生起相互调节作用。ABA在提高体细胞胚胎发生频率和质量上具有重要作用,同时,外源与内源ABA对体细胞胚胎发生起相互促进作用。本文还较为深入地讨论了这些激素诱导体细胞胚胎发生的可能作用机制。 Abstract:The paper summarizes the induced and regulatory effects of a few exogenous and endogenous hormones in plant somatic embryogenesis by our studies and related international reports.The exogenous auxin and cytokinin are necessary to induced differentiation and proliferation of cells of culture in vitro.2,4-D is an important hormone of induced embryogenic calluses.The contents and the metabolic balances of endogenous hormones have key effects for somatic embryogenesis.In addition,the exogenous and endogenous hormones have mutual regulatory effects for somatic embryogenesis.ABA has an important effect to improving the frequency and quality of somatic embryogenesis.Meanwhile,the exogenous and endogenous ABA have mutual promoted effects for somatic embryogenesis.The paper discusses possible mechanism of hormones-induced somatic embryogenesis in a deep-going way.