In vitro propagation of cashewnut

In vitro plant propagation was developed for seedling shoot tips, leaf axils, and cotyledonary nodes of cashew, Anacardium occidentale. Factors affecting multiplication rate included age of explant source, explant type, medium composition, light requirements, and transfer frequency. Cotyledonary nodes produced more buds than other explant types. Nodes had a 90% viability when transferred daily to fresh medium containing activated charcoal for 7 d while exposed to continuous dark. Cultures were then exposed to low light illumination with weekly transfers. The phytohormone composition producing the most buds was 2.32 M kinetin, 9.12 M zeatin and 4.40 M BA. The highest frequency of rooted shoots was obtained by treating shoots with the bacterium, Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Plants also were recovered by induction of roots using auxin treatment on propagated shoots.Abbreviations Kn Kinetin - Zn Zeatin - BA N6-Benzyladenine - 2iP (2-Isopentenyl) adenine - BPA n-Benzyl -9 (2-tetrahydro-pyrany l) adenine - IAA Indole-3-acetic acid - IBA Indole-3-butyric acid - NAA 1-Naphthalene acetic acid - TIBA 2,3,5-Tri-iodo-benzoic acid     

High efficiency plant regeneration from cotyledons of watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris Schrad)

Cotyledons of various ages from seedlings of eight watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris) cultivars were cultured on MS medium supplemented with different combinations of phytohormones. High frequency shoot regeneration (60.0–92.0%) was induced from 5-day-old cotyledons of cultivars cultured on MS medium containing 5.0 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) and 0.5 mg/l indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Multiple shoot buds elongated on MS medium containing 0.2 mg/l kinetin (KT) and 5–10 shoots per expiant could be recovered depending on the cultivars. Elongated shoots rooted on MS medium with 0.1 mg/l -naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Zeatin riboside (ZT) had a similar efficiency as BA in shoot induction, and it was significantly more functional than 2-isopentenyladenine (2iP) or kinetin (KT). Cotyledons from 5-day-old seedlings were the most responsive to shoot induction.Abbreviation BA 6-benzylaminopurine - GA₃ gibberellic acid - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - 2iP 2-isopentenyladenine - KT kinetin - MS Murashige and Skoog (1962) - NAA -naphthalene acetic acid - ZT zeatin riboside     

Plant regeneration from cotyledon-hypocotyl explants of Pinus strobus L.

Rooted adventitious shoots were obtained from cotyledon-hypocotyl explants of aseptically grown seedlings of Pinus strobus L. The explants consisted of the top 2 to 3 mm of the hypocotyl attached to the whorl of cotyledons which had been trimmed to about half of their original length. The explants were cultured on a modified Murashige and Skoog's medium containing 0.2 mg/L NAA and 2 mg/L BA for 2–3 weeks and then on the medium of Litvay et al. without any growth hormones for 8 to 10 weeks to obtain shoot induction and shoot growth. Root induction and root growth were achieved by culturing the shoots on half strength Gresshoff and Doy's medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L NAA for 2 weeks and then transferring them to the same medium without any growth hormones. The rooted shoots could be grown outside the culture tube in a peat/perlite/vermiculite mixture.Abbreviations BA 6-Benzyl-aminopurine - GD Gresshoff and Doy's medium - LM conifer cell culture medium of Litvay et al. - MS modified Murashige and Skoog's medium - NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid     

Isolation and cell regeneration of protoplasts from sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana)

Protoplasts were isolated at high yields from actively growing callus and cell suspensions of cotyledons and needles of mature trees. The best protoplast growth response was obtained from cell suspensions of cotyledon and needle callus. Lower protoplast yields were obtained directly from young needles of flushing buds on explants from mature shoots (30-year-old trees) growing in vitro. In all cases, the first divisions, promoted by dimethyl sulfoxide, were observed in 10–45% of the protoplasts by 7–10 days. After 25–30 days, colonies of 8–10 cells were established. Browning of protoplast-derived cell cultures was observed within 40–45 days (cotyledons) and 20–25 days (mature tree sources).Abbreviations BA N⁶-Benzyladenine - DCR Douglas-fir cotyledon revised medium - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - DMSO dimethyl sulfoxide - FDA Fluorescein diacetate - Mes 2-(N-morpholino) ethanesulfonic acid - NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid     

Multiple shoot induction by benzyladenine and complete plant regeneration from seed explants of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The efficacy of benzyladenine (BA) to induce multiple shoots from seed explants of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) was assessed. Shoot differentiation was influenced by the type of seed explant, genotype and concentration of BA. Orientation of the explant also strongly influenced the shoot regeneration response. The optimum BA concentration for shoot/shoot bud regeneration was genotype dependent. Two types of BA-induced response were observed: (1) at less than 7.5 gm BA, direct shoot differentiation (2 to 4-cm-long shoots) was observed within 30 days; (2) at higher BA concentrations (75–100 m), shoot/shoot bud differentiation was achieved in 45–90 days. A high BA concentration inhibited subsequent rooting of shoots. Roots, however, could be easily induced on shoots derived from <12.5 m BA. Following transfer to soil, 80% of the regenerants developed into morphologically normal and fertile plants.Abbreviations BA Benzyladenine     

Plantlet regeneration from mature zygotic embryos of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.)

Plants were regenerated from whole embryo explants obtained from eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) seeds. Embryos were surgically removed and axenically cultured to induce buds in vitro on a modified Murashige and Skoog medium containing various concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine. Embryos remained on bud induction medium for 21 days and then were transferred to the same basal medium without 6-benzylaminopurine to promote bud development and subsequent shoot elongation. The medium containing 10 M 6-benzylaminopurine induced the greatest number of shoots per embryo. Rooting was achieved by direct transfer of the shoots to a non-sterile artificial soil mixture followed by multiple treatments with 15 nM 1-naphthaleneacetic acid. Regenerated seedlings are currently growing under greenhouse conditions.Abbreviations NAA 1-napthaleneacetic acid - BA 6-benzylaminopurine - SIM shoot induction medium - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - IBA indole-3-butyric acid - TIBA Triiodobenzoic acid - 2iP 2-isopentenyl adenine     

In vitro culture of Safflower L. cv. Bhima: initiation,growth optimization and organogenesis

Callus induction and in vitro plantlet regeneration systems for safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) cv. Bhima using root, hypocotyl, cotyledon and leaf explants were optimized by studying the influence on organogenesis of seedling age, media factors, growth regulators and excision orientation. Supplementation of the medium with an auxin: cytokinin ratio < 1 enhanced the growth rate of callus cultures; however, for 2,4-D the ratio was > 1.34–11.41 μM concentrations of growth regulators (IAA, NAA, BA and Kinetin) in the medium were found effective for callus induction and regeneration in all explants. The calli could be maintained over 32 months. BA (4.43 μM) combined with casein hydrolysate (10 mg l-1) yielded the highest rate of shoot production on hypocotyl (3–6) and cotyledon (5–7) explants and cotyledonary derived callus (4–8). More shoots were produced on explants cut from the most basal region of cotyledons from 5 to 7-day-old seedlings than from older seedlings or more distal cut sites. Apolar placement of explants, inhibited shoot regeneration. The shoot regeneration potential remained upto 7 months in calli developed on NAA + BA. Of three media tested, MS was superior to SH-M and B5. Rooting of shoots was not efficient; 42% of the shoots were rooted on MS medium containing sucrose (7–8%) + IAA (2.8–5.7 μM). Capitula induction was observed in both callus mediated shoots on cotyledons and shoots on rooting medium with sucrose, IAA, NAA and IBA. Well developed plantlets were transferred to the field with a 34% success rate. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A rapid and efficient in vitro shoot regeneration protocol using cotyledons of London plane tree (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Platanus acerifolia</Emphasis> Willd.)

A rapid, prolific and reproducible protocol for in vitro shoot regeneration from mature cotyledons of Platanus acerifolia has been developed. The influences of different plant growth regulator (PGR) combinations and donor seedling ages on shoot regeneration were investigated. The results showed that the application of BA in conjunction with NAA was the most effective PGR combination for the induction of shoot regeneration. When cotyledon explants of 5-day-old seedlings were incubated on MS basal medium supplemented with 4.0 mg L^?1 BA and 0.2 mg L^?1 NAA, 67.6?±?4.9% of the cotyledon segments produced adventitious shoots. These regenerated shoots were initially formed as stunted rosette cluster forms and were encouraged to elongate to produce distinct shoots by transfer onto MS medium containing 0.5 mg L^?1 BA and 0.05 mg L^?1 NAA; the resulting mean number of adventitious shoots per explant was 5.81?±?0.36. The elongated shoots were readily induced to root (i.e. 89.3% of shoots) by incubation on ½-strength MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg L^?1 IBA. This is the first report of an efficient in vitro shoot regeneration protocol for P. acerifolia through direct organogenesis using cotyledon explants. Hence, this provides a more efficient basis for the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of Platanus than previously available.     

In vitro establishment and multiplication of Nymphaea hybrid ‘James Brydon’

Rhizome tips were the most suitable explants for in vitro plant regeneration and multiplication of Nymphaea hybrid James Brydon on Murashige and Skoog medium containing different concentrations and combinations of indole-3-acetic acid, 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 6-benzyladenine (BA), kinetin, 2-isopentenyladenine (2iP) and gibberellic acid (GA₃). A combination of 2iP, BA, and NAA strongly favored induction of shoot buds and shoot proliferation. Pretreatment of shoot cultures at 8°C for 30 days or with 14.4 or 28.9 M GA₃ for 15 days did not improve shoot multiplication. A 16-h photoperiod with photosynthetic photon flux of 30 mol m^-2 s^-1 was found to be the optimum light condition for shoot growth and multiplication. Multiple shoots produced well developed root systems within 4 weeks after transfer to a plant growth regulator-free medium containing activated charcoal.Abbreviations BA 6-benzyladenine - 2,4-d 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - GA₃ gibberellic acid - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - 2iP 2-isopentenyladenine - MS Murashige and Skoog medium - NAA 1-naphthaleneacetic acid     

Plant regeneration by organogenesis in Glycine max

A procedure for the regeneration of fertile plants by organogenesis from tissue cultures of soybeans, Glycine max is described. Seeds were germinated on reduced inorganic salt MS medium containing 5M BA. Cotyledonary nodes were excised and cultured on the same medium. Presence of BA in the medium during seed germination and culture of nodal explants was required for multiple shoot and shoot-bud formation. Histological analyses established the de novo nature of shoot regeneration. Separate reduction of the concentration of inorganic salts or substitution of sucrose for fructose during culture had minimal effects on the regeneration response. Conversely, if the BA was reduced, the inhibition response could not be overcome by increased salt concentration or altered carbon source.Abbreviations BA benzyladenine - IAA indoleacetic acid - SAS secondary axillary shoots - MS Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium     

Micropropagation of western white pine (Pinus monticola) starting with mature embryos

As part of a program to develop micropropagation protocols for western white pine, the production of adventitious shoots from mature embryos was investigated. Litvay's medium proved to be the best of the six media formulations tried. The optimum concentration of N6-benzyladenine was 30 M for 21 days. BiTek agar which had an optimum at 8 g/L produced significantly more shoots than GelGro gellan gum which had an optimum at 5 g/L. There was no significant difference in the shoot production between three different seed lots, two from interior British Columbia and one from coastal British Columbia, with this protocol. Harvested adventitious shoots survived best on the medium of Gresshoff and Doy at half-strength. Using the protocol described here, it was possible to obtain 500 to 600 shoots for every 100 embryos explanted. Up to 80 percent of the shoots continued to grow three months after excision from the explants.Abbreviations BA N6-benzyladenine - ddw double distilled water - NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid     

In vitro plant regeneration from leaf and cotyledon explants of Cucumis melo L.

Five different genotypes from in vitro as well as greenhouse grown melon plants were shown to be highly responsive for in vitro shoot formation from leaf explants when placed on basic MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine. In addition, a very suitable regeneration system was obtained when cotyledon pieces of mature seeds were incubated on the same culture medium. In this case, the first shoots already appeared after 10 days of incubation, and hundreds of shoots were formed on the cut surface 3 to 4 weeks later. Explants from mature cotyledons derived from seedlings did not lead to any shoot formation.Abbreviations MS Murashige and Skoog - IAA 3-indoleacetic acid - BA 6-benzylaminopurine     

High-frequency plant regeneration from cultured cotyledons of Arabidopsis thaliana

Wild-type plants of Arabidopsis thaliana strain Columbia regenerated at a high frequency from immature cotyledons cultured on a shoot-inducing medium containing 1.0 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine and 0.1 mg/l 1-naphthaleneacetic acid. Cotyledon segments expanded rapidly and produced numerous shoots after 2–3 weeks in culture. Regeneration occurred in the absence of the original shoot apex. Hypocotyl segments from immature embryos produced root hairs and callus in culture but only rarely developed shoots. Hygromycin, kanamycin and G-418 inhibited cotyledon expansion and shoot formation in culture. Vancomycin was much less toxic to cotyledon segments than either carbenicillin or cefotaxime. Immature cotyledons therefore yield numerous regenerated plants that may be useful in future transformation studies.     

High frequency plant regeneration from cotyledon and hypocotyl explants of ornamental kale

A high frequency shoot regeneration system for ornamental kale [Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala (D.C.) Alef.] was firstly established from seedling cotyledon and hypocotyl explants. The ability of cotyledon and hypocotyl to produce adventitious shoots varied depending upon genotype, seedling age and culture medium. The maximum shoot regeneration frequency was obtained when the explants from cv. Nagoya 4-d-old seedlings were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 3 mg dm⁻³ 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) and 0.1 mg dm⁻³ naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). The frequency of shoot regeneration was 65.0 % for cotyledons, 76.1 % for hypocotyls; and the number of shoots per explant was 4.3 for cotyledons, 8.2 for hypocotyls. Hypocotyl explants were found to be more responsive for regeneration when compared with cotyledons. Among the 4 cultivars tested, Nagoya showed the best shoot regeneration response. The addition of 3.0 mg dm⁻³ AgNO₃ was beneficial to shoot regeneration. Roots were formed on the base of the shoots when cultured on half-strength MS medium.     

Regeneration of plants from callus tissue of the pasture legume Lotononis bainesii

In vitro regeneration of plants from both cotyledon-, and leaf — derived calli of Lotononis bainesii Paker was studied under defined nutritional, hormonal and environmental conditions. Explants from both, cotyledons from seedilings of 4 days old and fully expanded leaves from mature plants, were cultured on MS medium containing 0.8% agar and supplemented with 0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg/1 concentrations of naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 0.1, 1, and 3 mg/1 levels of benzyladenine (BA) in various combinations. Multiple shoot (on an average 4 shoots per callus) regeneration from primary callus occurred within 15 to 35 days of culture in most of the media tested. Although the best medium for shoot regeneration from cotyledon-derived callus contained NAA and BA at 1, and 0.1 mg/1 levels, respectively, maximal shoot regeneration from leaf-derived calli was achieved by using NAA and BA at 0.01 and 0.1 mg/1, respectively. Roots were induced to differentiate by transferring the regenerated shoots onto a medium lacking growth regulators.Supported by a research fellowship from Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (República Argentina).     

Early-flowering Scots pines through tissue culture for accelerating tree breeding

Scots pine plantlets were produced via tissue culture using cotyledons excised from germinated embryos as explants. The optimum tissue culture conditions were: 1/2GDbasal medium gelled with agar-Gelrite during shoot formation and with agar during rooting, inclusion of 5.0M benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.05 M naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) for 2 weeks for shoot induction, and repeated 2.7 M NAA pulses of 1 week for rooting. Micropropagation success was genotype-dependent. Average multiplication rates varied among experiments from 3 to 15 shoots per embryo. The maximum shoot production from a single embryo was 35. Rooting was the most difficult phase in the propagation process. Most of the plantlets had a plagiotrophic and highly branched growth habit when growing in the greenhouse. Some individuals produced megasporangiate strobili at the age of 3 years and microsporangiate strobili with viable pollen at the age of 4 years. Early-flowering clones and the ability to conserve seedlings from which cotyledons have been cultured give new possibilities for accelerated tree breeding.     

In vitro plant regeneration of leguminous trees (Albizia spp)

Hypocotyl explants of three leguminous forest tree species, Albizia amara, A. lucida and A. richardiana, have differentiated shoot buds on B₅ basal medium. Maximum number of shoots per explant developed on basal medium augmented with 2,4-D (0.1 M) in A. amara (2) and BA (10 M) for both A. lucida (2) and A. richardiana (1.6). Higher concentrations of auxins in the medium, in general, enhanced rooting and callusing but cytokinins promoted the growth of green calli. BA enchanced the differentiation of shoots in the three species. The in vitro grown shoots of A. amara and A. richardiana, after subculturing on B₅+1 M IAA developed roots (up to 30–40%). These plants have been successfully transferred to the field.Abbreviations 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - BA 6-benzylaminopurine - BM Gamborg's B₅ medium with 0.9% agar+3% sucrose - IAA Indole-3-acetic acid - IBA Indole-3-butyric acid - Kn Kinetin - NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid     

In vitro propagation,ex vitro rooting and leaf micromorphology of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bauhinia racemosa</Emphasis> Lam.: a leguminous tree with medicinal values

A micropropagation system for Bauhinia racemosa Lam. was developed involving axillary shoot proliferation and ex vitro rooting using nodal explants obtained from mature tree. MS medium with 3.0 mg l^?1 BA (6-benzyladenine) was optimum for shoot bud induction. For shoot multiplication, mother explants were transferred repeatedly on medium containing low concentration of BA (0.75 mg l^?1). Number of shoots was increased up to two passages and decreased thereafter. Shoot multiplication was further enhanced on MS medium containing 0.25 mg l^?1 each of BA and Kin (Kinetin) with 0.1 mg l^?1 of NAA (α-naphthalene acetic acid). Addition of 0.004 mg l^?1 TDZ (thidiazuron) increased the rate of shoot multiplication and 21.81 ± 1.26 shoots per culture vessel were obtained. In vitro regenerated shoots were rooted under ex vitro conditions treated with 400 mg l^?1 IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) for 7 min on sterile soilrite. After successful hardening in greenhouse, ex vitro rooted plants were transferred to the field conditions with ≈85% of survival rate. Micromorphological changes were observed on leaf surface i.e. development of vein density and trichomes and stomatal appearance, when plants were subjected to environmental conditions. This is the first report on in vitro regeneration of B. racemosa from mature tree.     

Multiple shoot formation from normal and malformed somatic embryo explants of Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis L.)

A procedure for multiple shoot formation from somatic embryo explants of Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis L.) cultured on DKW medium containing benzyladenine (BA) and thidiazuron (TDZ) was developed. TDZ in combination with BA produced more shoots than either treatment alone. The highest number of shoots (3.3 to 3.4 shoots per explant) was obtained from partially desiccated and wounded explants treated with a combination of 5 or 10 M BA and 0.5 or 1.0 M TDZ for 20 days before being transferred to the same medium without TDZ. The number of shoots formed was increased from 1.5 to 3.2 shoots per explant by cutting through the cotyledonary node prior to culture. In addition, the frequency of explants forming shoots was increased by desiccation of somatic embryo explants to approximately 50% moisture and by using somatic embryos with two well formed cotyledons as explants.Abbreviations ABA abscisic acid - BA benzyladenine - CRD Completely randomized design - DKW Driver and Kuniyuki medium - LSD Least significant differences - TDZ thidiazuron     

Studies on a drought resistant legume: The moth bean,Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq) marechal. II. morphogenetic studies

Plantlets regenerated from shoot apices, cotyledons and callus cultures in Moth bean, Vigna aconitifolia (JACQ) Marechal, a drought resistant legume and pulse crop, were rooted and transferred to soil. Explants for these studies were derived from seedlings pre-conditioned by germination of seeds on B5BA and WMB (control).Abbreviations MS Murashige and Skoog (1962) - B5 B5 basal medium (Gamborg et al 1968) - B5BA B5 basal medium containing BA (2.25 mg/l) - WMB Modified White's medium (Mascarenhas et al 1976) - BA 6-benzyladenine - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - NAA 1-napthaleneaceticacid - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - IBA indolebutyric acid - 2iP N(^–2 isopentyl) adenine - CM coconut milk NCL Communication No. 3375