松柏类植物体细胞胚胎发生的研究进展

松柏类植物的体细胞胚胎发生既是繁育的一种手段,又是研究胚胎发育过程中结构、生理和分子事件的一种重要的模式系统。整个体细胞胚胎发生过程主要包括3个步骤：胚性组织的诱导和增殖、体细胞胚的成熟以及体细胞胚的萌发和转换。过去为了提高胚胎发育过程所做的努力主要都集中在胚的成熟阶段,这是因为一直认为能否成功再生的关键在于胚发育成熟阶段的处理。然而,在过去几年里,结合生理生化以及分子生物学的研究发现,胚胎发生的早期阶段对于完成整个发育过程也是至关重要的,早期阶段培养条件的优化可以显著提高培养过程中体细胞胚的数量和质量。此外,萌发过程培养条件的调节对于提高成熟体细胞胚的萌发率和转换率也很重要。因此,这些新的研究成果对于改善松柏类植物体细胞胚胎发生中的胚的诱导率和转换率低的现象具有重要的意义。     

High-frequency plant regeneration through cyclic secondary somatic embryogenesis in black pepper (Piper nigrum L.)

A high-frequency plantlet regeneration protocol was developed for black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) through cyclic secondary somatic embryogenesis. Secondary embryos formed from the radicular end of the primary somatic embryos which were originally derived from micropylar tissues of germinating seeds on growth regulator-free SH medium in the absence of light. The process of secondary embryogenesis continued in a cyclic manner from the root pole of newly formed embryos resulting in clumps of somatic embryos. Strength of the medium and sucrose concentration influenced the process of secondary embryogenesis and fresh weight of somatic embryo clumps. Full-strength SH medium supplemented with 1.5% sucrose produced significantly higher fresh weight and numbers of secondary somatic embryos while 3.0 and 4.5% sucrose in the medium favored further development of proliferated embryos into plantlets. Ontogeny of secondary embryos was established by histological analysis. Secondary embryogenic potential was influenced by the developmental stage of the explanted somatic embryo and stages up to “torpedo” were more suitable. A single-flask system was standardized for proliferation, maturation, germination and conversion of secondary somatic embryos in suspension cultures. The system of cyclic secondary somatic embryogenesis in black pepper described here represents a permanent source of embryogenic material that can be used for genetic manipulations of this crop species.     

松柏类植物体细胞胚胎发生的研究进展

松柏类植物的体细胞胚胎发生既是繁育的一种手段,又是研究胚胎发育过程中结构、生理和分子事件的一种重要的模式系统.整个体细胞胚胎发生过程主要包括3个步骤:胚性组织的诱导和增殖、体细胞胚的成熟以及体细胞胚的萌发和转换.过去为了提高胚胎发育过程所做的努力主要都集中在胚的成熟阶段,这是因为一直认为能否成功再生的关键在于胚发育成熟阶段的处理.然而,在过去几年里,结合生理生化以及分子生物学的研究发现,胚胎发生的早期阶段对于完成整个发育过程也是至关重要的,早期阶段培养条件的优化可以显著提高培养过程中体细胞胚的数量和质量.此外,萌发过程培养条件的调节对于提高成熟体细胞胚的萌发率和转换率也很重要.因此,这些新的研究成果对于改善松柏类植物体细胞胚胎发生中的胚的诱导率和转换率低的现象具有重要的意义.     

Polyethylene glycol and maltose enhance somatic embryo maturation in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.)

Summary A culture medium that can efficiently produce mature somatic embryos was developed for loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). The medium contained maltose as a carbohydrate source and polyethylene glycol as an osmoticum. This medium formulation significantly enhanced embryo maturation efficiency compared to a medium with only maltose, or with sucrose combined with polyethylene glycol. Maltose at 4% and polyethylene glycol at 6% resulted in the highest embryo maturation efficiency; an average of around 100 cotyledonary embryos were produced from 1 g of embryogenic tissue. These results suggested that previous ineffective embryo maturation in loblolly pine may be due to the lack of the proper combination of osmoticum and carbohydrate source. This embryo maturation method also improved morphology of cotyledonary embryos of loblolly pine.     

In vitro propagation and cryopreservation of Thuja koraiensis Nakai via somatic embryogenesis

Korean arbor vitae (KAV; Thuja koraiensis Nakai) is a critically endangered coniferous tree in Korea. Here, we report the somatic embryogenesis (SE) and cryopreservation system that can be used for micropropagation of KAV and long-term storage of KAV cultures. To induce SE in KAV, the influence of the developmental stage of zygotic embryos and the effect of basal medium on embryogenesis induction were examined. The developmental stage of zygotic embryos had a significant effect on the embryogenesis induction (P < 0.0001). The highest frequency of embryogenesis induction occurred in megagametophytes with zygotic embryos at precotyledonary (P) and late embryogeny (L1) stage (36%). The highest frequency of embryogenesis induction was obtained on initiation medium containing IM basal salts with 2.2 μM 6-benzylaminopurine and 4.5 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (35%). The effect of abscisic acid (ABA) on production of somatic embryos was tested. The highest number of somatic embryos per 50 mg of embryogenic tissue was achieved on maturation medium with levels of 100 μM ABA (24.0 ± 2.4). The effect of cryopreservation treatment to embryogenic tissues on the maturation capacity of somatic embryos was also tested. No significant differences between noncryopreservation and cryopreservation treatment were observed (P = 0.1896), and the highest mean number of somatic embryo per 50 mg of embryogenic tissues was obtained in noncryopreserved cell line (28.17 ± 5.66). Finally, the genetic identities of the plantlets regenerated from non- and cryopreserved embryogenic cell lines were verified and there was no genetic variation in the regenerated plantlets from cryostored embryogenic cell lines. This study is the first report on SE and the successful cryopreservation of embryogenic culture of the genus Thuja.

     

Developmental pathways of somatic embryogenesis

Somatic embryogenesis is defined as a process in which a bipolar structure, resembling a zygotic embryo, develops from a non-zygotic cell without vascular connection with the original tissue. Somatic embryos are used for studying regulation of embryo development, but also as a tool for large scale vegetative propagation. Somatic embryogenesis is a multi-step regeneration process starting with formation of proembryogenic masses, followed by somatic embryo formation, maturation, desiccation and plant regeneration. Although great progress has been made in improving the protocols used, it has been revealed that some treatments, coinciding with increased yield of somatic embryos, can cause adverse effects on the embryo quality, thereby impairing germination and ex vitro growth of somatic embryo plants. Accordingly, ex vitro growth of somatic embryo plants is under a cumulative influence of the treatments provided during the in vitro phase. In order to efficiently regulate the formation of plants via somatic embryogenesis it is important to understand how somatic embryos develop and how the development is influenced by different physical and chemical treatments. Such knowledge can be gained through the construction of fate maps representing an adequate number of morphological and molecular markers, specifying critical developmental stages. Based on this fate map, it is possible to make a model of the process. The mechanisms that control cell differentiation during somatic embryogenesis are far from clear. However, secreted, soluble signal molecules play an important role. It has long been observed that conditioned medium from embryogenic cultures can promote embryogenesis. Active components in the conditioned medium include endochitinases, arabinogalactan proteins and lipochitooligosaccharides.     

Maturation and germination of oak somatic embryos originated from leaf and stem explants: RAPD markers for genetic analysis of regenerants

Experiments were performed to determine the influence of maturation medium carbohydrate content on the rates of germination and plantlet conversion (root and shoot growth) of somatic embryos from four embryogenic lines derived from leaf or internode explants of Quercus robur L. seedlings. The conversion rate was favoured by high carbohydrate content as long as the maturation medium contained at least 2% sucrose, which was necessary for healthy embryo development. Given this, sorbitol and mannitol favoured the conversion rate more efficiently than sucrose, the highest rate, 32%, being achieved by medium with 6% sorbitol and 3% sucrose. Maturation treatment did not affect the root or shoot lengths of converted embryos. In supplementary experiments, 2 weeks of gibberellic acid treatment between maturation and germination treatments did not improve germination rates, but did reduce root length and the number of leaves per regenerated plantlet. In the four embryogenic lines tested, plant recovery rate was enhanced by inclusion of benzyladenine into the germination medium following culture of the embryos on maturation medium with 6% sorbitol and 2-3% sucrose. In embryogenic systems it is important to assess the uniformity of the regenerants. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis using 32 arbitrary oligonucleotide primers was performed to study variability in DNA sequences within and between four embryogenic lines. No intraclonal nor interclonal polymorphism was detected between embryogenic lines originating from different types of explant from the same seedling, but every one of the primers detected enough polymorphism among clones originating from different plants to allow these three origins to be distinguished. No differences in DNA sequences between regenerated plantlets and their somatic embryos of origin were detected, but a nodular callus line that had lost its embryogenic capacity was found to be mutant with respect to three other clones originating from the same plantlet. This study shows that high carbohydrate levels in the maturation medium significantly increase plant conversion of oak somatic embryos, which exhibit no variation in DNA sequences when proliferated by secondary embryogenesis.     

Induction of somatic embryogenesis from female flower buds of elite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Schisandra chinensis</Emphasis>

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) was induced in female flower buds from mature Schisandra chinensis cultivar ‘Hongzhenzhu’. Somatic embryo structures were induced at a low frequency from unopened female flower buds and excised unopened on Murashige and Skoog (MS) agar medium containing 4.0 mg l⁻¹ 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Friable embryogenic calli were induced from somatic embryo structures after three to four subcultures on initiation medium. The frequencies of mature somatic embryo germination and plantlet conversion were low, but increased in the presence of gibberellic acid (GA₃). Some germinated somatic embryos could form friable embryogenic calli on medium without plant growth regulators (PGRs). The germination and conversion frequencies of somatic embryos from embryogenic calli induced using PGR-free medium were higher than for somatic embryos from embryogenic calli induced on medium containing 2,4-D. Most somatic embryos from 2,4-D-induced embryogenic calli had trumpet-shaped embryos, and most somatic embryos from PGR-free medium–induced embryogenic calli had two or three cotyledons. Histological observation indicated that two- and three-cotyledon embryos had defined shoot primordia, but most of the trumpet-shaped embryos yielded plantlets that lacked or had poorly developed meristem tissue. Cytological and random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analyses indicated no evidence of genetic variation in the plantlets of somatic embryo origin.     

Maturation of somatic embryos in conifers: Morphogenesis,physiology, biochemistry,and molecular biology

Summary In the past 15 years tremendons progress has been made towards the development of systems for the induction and development of somatic embryos of coniferous species. Since the first report in 1985, several species have been induced to produce somatic embryos. This has been rendered possible by the development of rational media and improvement of culture conditions, which have resulted in increased embryo quality and higher conversion frequency. Understanding the physiological and biochemical events occurring during in vivo embryogenesis has been fundamental in the design of new protocols for improving the somatic embryogenic process. Specifically, the inclusions of abscisic acid (ABA) and osmotic agents, such as polyethylene glycol (PEG), have been shown to be necessary for the functional development of somatic embryos. In the past few years, physiological and biochemical investigations have been useful in increasing our knowledge on the mode of action of ABA and PEG during embryo development. In comparison with the flowering plants, our understanding on the molecular mechanisms regulating the embryogenic process in coniferous species is still very limited. The application of new molecular techniques is therefore fundamental towards this end. The emphasis of this review is on recent information dealing with the maturation of conifer somatic embryos.     

欧石楠体细胞胚发生和植株再生

以欧石楠茎段为外植体,研究其体细胞胚胎发生和植株再生。对影响茎段不定芽分化及胚性愈伤组织诱导的主导因子进行比较分析,并研究其体胚萌发、生根及移栽;同时,采用树脂切片法对茎段脱分化产生胚性愈伤组织及体胚发育过程进行组织细胞学观察。结果表明,接种在1／2WPM基本培养基上的茎段,胚性愈伤组织诱导率为88．7％,显著高于其他处理,不定芽诱导率可达90．6％,平均分化倍数为3．6个,平均分化苗高3．82cm;体细胞经过成熟培养后。在添加1．0mg·L-1 ZT和0．3mg·L-1 IBA的1／2WPM培养基上萌发,萌发的体胚在I／2WPM附加0．2mg·L-1 NAA和0．3mg·L-1 IBA的培养基上形成完整的体胚苗植株,体胚苗生根率达到87．4％,经炼苗后移栽到蛭石：珍珠岩=3：1（V／V）的栽培基质中,成活率可达63．7％。在显微镜下可观察到球形胚、心形胚、鱼雷形胚和子叶形胚;体细胞胚以间接方式发生,表现为愈伤组织外层细胞直接发生和愈伤组织组织内部细胞发生。     

Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from immature seeds of Magnolia obovata Thunberg

We have tested plantlet formation by somatic embryogenesis using immature seeds of Magnolia obovata. Seed collection date appeared to be critical for embryogenic cell induction. The optimal collection date was 3–4 weeks postanthesis. The embryogenic cells proliferated, formed somatic embryos, and were subsequently converted into normal plantlets under optimized culture conditions. Somatic embryo formation from the embryogenic calli was better on sucrose medium than on glucose medium. The optimum level of sucrose appeared to be 3% with an average of 28 somatic embryos per plate. About 25% of somatic embryos were converted into normal plantlets in 1/2 MS medium containing gibberellic acid (GA₃). During somatic embryo germination, secondary embryogenesis was frequently observed in the lower part of the hypocotyl or radicle ends of germinating somatic embryos. Finally, about 85% of converted plantlets survived in an artificial soil mixture, were transferred to a nursery, and have grown normally.     

Embryogeny of gymnosperms: advances in synthetic seed technology of conifers

Synthetic seed technology requires the inexpensive production of large numbers of high-quality somatic embryos. Proliferating embryogenic cultures from conifers consist of immature embryos, which undergo synchronous maturation in the presence of abscisic acid and elevated osmoticum. Improvements in conifer somatic embryo quality have been achieved by identifying the conditions in vitro that resemble the conditions during in ovulo development of zygotic embryos. One normal aspect of zygotic embryo development for conifers is maturation drying, which allows seeds to be stored and promotes normal germination. Conditions of culture are described that yield mature conifer somatic embryos that possess normal storage proteins and fatty acids and which survive either partial drying, or full drying to moisture contents similar to those achieved by mature dehydrated zygotic embryos. Large numbers of quiescent somatic embryos can be produced throughout the year and stored for germination in the spring, which simplifies production and provides plants of uniform size. This review focuses on recent advances in conifer somatic embryogenesis and synthetic seed technology, particularly in areas of embryo development, maturation drying, encapsulation and germination. Comparisons of conifer embryogeny are made with other gymnosperms and angiosperms.Abbreviations ABA abscisic acid - LEA late embryogenesis abundant - PEG polyethylene glycol - PGR plant growth regulator - RH relative humidity - TAG triacylglycerol     

Repetitive somatic embryogenesis from peanut cultures in liquid medium

Summary A regeneration system based on repetitive somatic embryogenesis was developed for peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Embryogenic suspension cultures were initiated using individual somatic embryos induced from immature cotyledons cultured on a modified Murashige and Skoog medium containing 40 mg/l 2,4-D for 30 days. After transfer to a modified MS liquid medium, the somatic embryos produced masses of secondary and tertiary embryos which continued to proliferate following manual separation and subculture of the embryogenic clumps. The cultures exhibited exponential growth, and have been maintained for over one year without apparent loss of embryogenic potential. Further embryo development, germination, and conversion were achieved by placing embryo clumps onto hormone-free, solid medium. The inclusion of a desiccation period during embryo development enhanced conversion four-fold. Plants have been established in soil and appear to be phenotypically normal.Abbreviations 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - NAA 1-naphthaleneacetic acid - BA 6-benzylaminopurine - MSO Modified Murashige and Skoog basal medium - EM embryogenic masses     

Direct somatic embroygenesis from immature embryos of rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia Roxb.)

Direct regeneration of somatic embryos was obtained from immature zygotic embryos of Dalbergia latifolia. Immature embryos dissected from green pods 90 d after flowering gave the highest frequency of somatic embryo formation. Preculture on high 2,4-D medium for 4 weeks induced direct somatic embryogenesis, which was expressed during the second culture phase in the presence of low 2,4-D along with a high sucrose concentration. Embryos were separated and transferred to the maturation medium containing MS + 0.5–1.0 mg/L BAP, where embryos developed into plantlets. Somatic embryos failed to convert into complete plants without BAP treatment. This method of direct regeneration of somatic embryos without a callus phase has direct application for genetic manipulation studies.Abbreviations MS Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium - 2,4-D 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - BAP 6-benzylaminopurine - ABA Abscisic acid - KIN Kinetin     

Somatic embryogenesis from immature and mature embryos of a minor millet Paspalum scrobiculatum L.

Immature and mature zygotic embryos of Paspalum scrobiculatum L. cv. PSC 1 cultured on MS or N₆ nutrient medium supplemented with different concentrations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), formed embryogenic callus. Induction of embryogenic callus and subsequent somatic embryogenesis was possible at a lower concentration of 2,4-D on N₆ than MS medium. Immature embryos were highly totipotent, forming somatic embryos at a higher frequency than mature embryos. Addition of amino acids (L-proline or L-tryptophan) to 2,4-D medium resulted in significant enhancement of embryogenesis on culture of mature embryos. Silver nitrate also supported an increased frequency of embryogenesis. Thus it is possible to have high frequency of somatic embryogenesis on culture of mature embryos, which are available in abundance and with ease than immature embryos. The somatic embryos readily germinated and formed plantlets on hormone-free regeneration medium. The regenerated plantlets were successful on transfer to soil and set seed.     

Application of bioreactor system for large-scale production of Eleutherococcus sessiliflorus somatic embryos in an air-lift bioreactor and production of eleutherosides

Embryogenic callus was induced from leaf explants of Eleutherococcus sessiliflorus cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 1 mg l(-1) 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), while no plant growth regulators were needed for embryo maturation. The addition of 1 mg l(-1) 2,4-D was needed to maintain the embryogenic culture by preventing embryo maturation. Optimal embryo germination and plantlet development was achieved on MS medium with 4 mg l(-1) gibberellic acid (GA(3)). Low-strength MS medium (1/2 and 1/3 strength) was more effective than full-strength MS for the production of normal plantlets with well-developed shoots and roots. The plants were successfully transferred to soil. Embryogenic callus was used to establish a suspension culture for subsequent production of somatic embryos in bioreactor. By inoculating 10 g of embryogenic cells (fresh weight) into a 3l balloon type bubble bioreactor (BTBB) containing 2l MS medium without plant growth regulators, 121.8 g mature somatic embryos at different developmental stages were harvested and could be separated by filtration. Cotyledonary somatic embryos were germinated, and these converted into plantlets following transfer to a 3l BTBB containing 2l MS medium with 4 mg l(-1) GA3. HPLC analysis revealed that the total eleutherosides were significantly higher in leaves of field grown plants as compared to different stages of somatic embryo. However, the content of eleutheroside B was highest in germinated embryos. Germinated embryos also had higher contents of eleutheroside E and eleutheroside E1 as compared to other developmental stages. This result indicates that an efficient protocol for the mass production of E. sessiliflorus biomass can be achieved by bioreactor culture of somatic embryos and can be used as a source of medicinal raw materials.     

Plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp)

Efficient plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis has been developed in pigeonpea. Cotyledon and leaf explants from 10-day-old seedlings produced embryogenic callus and somatic embryos when cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 10 μm thidiazuron (TDZ). Subsequent withdrawal of TDZ from the induction medium resulted in the maturation and growth of the embryos into plantlets on MS basal medium. The rooted plantlets were transferred and acclimatized on vermiculite where they showed normal morphological characters. Received: 23 December 1996 / Revision received: 22 July 1997 / Accepted: 2 August 1997     

Gene Expression Patterns During Somatic Embryo Development and Germination in Maize Hi II Callus Cultures

Gene expression patterns were profiled during somatic embryogenesis in a regeneration-proficient maize hybrid line, Hi II, in an effort to identify genes that might be used as developmental markers or targets to optimize regeneration steps for recovering maize plants from tissue culture. Gene expression profiles were generated from embryogenic calli induced to undergo embryo maturation and germination. Over 1,000 genes in the 12,060 element arrays showed significant time variation during somatic embryo development. A substantial number of genes were downregulated during embryo maturation, largely histone and ribosomal protein genes, which may result from a slowdown in cell proliferation and growth during embryo maturation. The expression of these genes dramatically recovered at germination. Other genes up-regulated during embryo maturation included genes encoding hydrolytic enzymes (nucleases, glucosidases and proteases) and a few storage genes (an α-zein and caleosin), which are good candidates for developmental marker genes. Germination is accompanied by the up-regulation of a number of stress response and membrane transporter genes, and, as expected, greening is associated with the up-regulation of many genes encoding photosynthetic and chloroplast components. Thus, some, but not all genes typically associated with zygotic embryogenesis are significantly up or down-regulated during somatic embryogenesis in Hi II maize line regeneration. Although many genes varied in expression throughout somatic embryo development in this study, no statistically significant gene expression changes were detected between total embryogenic callus and callus enriched for transition stage somatic embryos.Supplementary material is available for this article at     

Polyethylene glycol promotes maturation but inhibits further development of Picea abies somatic embryos

A combined application of abscisic acid (ABA) and high molecular mass osmoticum, polyethylene glycol (PEG) has become a routine method for stimulating somatic embryo maturation in some genera of Coniferales. The goals of the present study were to clarify how the PEG 4000-attributed low osmotic potential (ψ_s) of the maturation medium affects the yield and morphology of mature somatic embryos as well as subsequent developmental processes during germination and ex vitro plantlet growth in different genotypes of Picea abies belonging to 3 full sib seed families. Despite high within- and among-family variation, a stimulatory effect of 7.5% PEG (ψ_s=?0.645 MPa) on somatic embryo maturation was recorded for 13 out of 17 cell lines (F= 2.83, P= 0.1). PEG-treated somatic embryos were more dehydrated than embryos matured in the absence of PEG. Subsequently, embryos were partially desiccated using a high relative humidity treatment (HRH-treatment). The dynamics of embryo water content (WC) during HRH-treatment differed between embryos developed on maturation medium for 5 or 7 weeks. These two patterns remained unchanged irrespective of the ψ_s of the maturation medium. In 5-week somatic embryos, the WC decreased to the lowest level (in the range 25-35%) within the first 8 days of HRH-treatment and was not further substantially changed. Seven-week embryos also lost water within 8 to 16 days (decrease to 15-25% WC), but this drop was followed by rehydration of embryonic tissues by 24th day of HRH-treatment up to nearly the initial WC. Thus, 7-week embryos experienced both desiccation and slow imbibition in the course of the 24-day HRH-treatment. This could account for their increased germinability compared to 5-week somatic embryos found in the present study. Addition of 7.5% PEG to the maturation medium significantly inhibited somatic embryo germination for the vast majority of genotypes (F= 7.35; P= 0.01). Moreover, even after ex vitro transfer, both radicle elongation and lateral root formation were substantially suppressed (F= 3.8; P= 0.03) in those plantlets produced from PEG-treated somatic embryos. Alterations both in the organization of the root meristem and in the structure of the root cap were found by histomorphological analysis of PEG-treated somatic embryos. All those embryos possessed massive root caps with numerous intercellular spaces in the pericolumn tissue. Cells of the quiescent center exhibited clear symptoms of degradation manifested in shrinkage and collapse of the protoplasm. In addition, PEG-treated embryos were of smaller size compared to embryos matured without osmoticum. When grown in artificial substrate (up to 5 months) the PEG-induced inhibitory post-effect gradually decreased. At this stage, the duration of maturation was the only factor separating plantlets into slow- and fast-growing categories. Somatic embryos matured for 5 weeks produced plantlets twice the size of those produced by 7-week embryos (F= 37.8; P < 0.0001). This trend did not depend on ψ_s of the maturation medium, nor on the genotype.     

An efficient regeneration system via somatic embryogenesis in olive

Olive is one of the most important oil crops in the Mediterranean area. Biotechnological improvement of this species is hampered by the recalcitrant nature of olive tissue regeneration in vitro. In this investigation, we have developed an efficient regeneration system for juvenile olive explants via somatic embryogenesis. Embryogenic cultures were obtained at a rate of 25% by culturing isolated radicles from mature seeds in a modified olive medium (OMc) containing 2.5 μM 6-(dimethylallylamino) purine (2iP) and 25 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) over 3 weeks and later transferring to the same medium without 2iP and with a lower IBA concentration. Two different basal formulations, OMc and olive cyclic embryogenesis medium (ECO) [1/4 OM macroelements, 1/4 Murashige and Skoog (MS) microelements and 1/2 OM vitamins supplemented with 550 mg l⁻¹ glutamine], were tested for embryogenic callus proliferation and maturation. The growth rate of embryogenic calli was similar in both media. However, the regeneration of mature embryos, achieved by culturing embryogenic masses in the same medium without hormones and supplemented with 1 g l⁻¹ activated charcoal, was significantly higher when embryos were cultured in the ECO basal formulation. Pre-culturing embryogenic masses in liquid medium for up to 4 weeks did not affect subsequent callus proliferation in solid medium. The maturation rate of small globular somatic embryos, 1–3 mm size, obtained after filtering liquid cultures through a 3 × 3 mm mesh, was also similar to control embryos cultured in solid medium. To improve the maturation and germination rates, the effect of culturing globular somatic embryos on semi-permeable cellulose acetate membranes was also tested. Membrane treatments reduced the regeneration of mature embryos from 56.5% in the control treatment to 40.6% when the membrane was applied during the first half of the 8-week maturation phase and to 18% when the membrane was applied during last 4 weeks of the maturation period. However, membrane treatments significantly enhanced the conversion of mature embryos to plants, increasing the embryo conversion rate from 1.5% in the control to an average value of 37.8% in the membrane treatment. Cotyledonary embryos that were matured on the membranes showed lower values of water and solute potential than controls, indicating that this treatment exerted a controlled desiccation rate that enhanced the recovery of plants.