Transgenic carnation plants obtained by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of petal explants

Transgenic carnation plants were obtained after infection of petal explants with the supervirulent Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain AGLO. Southern blot techniques confirmed the transgenic nature of four transformed plants. The expression of the gus gene was verified in these plants by histochemical assays on selected shoots. It was very difficult to transfer the transgenic plants to the greenhouse due to vitrification and premature flowering.Abbreviations BA 6-benzyladenine - GA₃ gibberellic acid - gus- glucuronidase gene - MS Murashige and Skoog (1962) - NAA naphthaleneacetic acid - nptII neomycin phosphotransferase II gene - PCR polymerase chain reaction     

High-frequency embryogenesis inBrassica campestris microspore culture

Microspore culture is a very important and useful tool in plant breeding for haploid production and has been developed for many years.Brassica campestris (Brassica rapa L. ssp.oleifera) is an important oilseed crop, but it is relatively recalcitrant in tissue culture including microspore culture. The microspore culture in our laboratory is based on the Canadian protocol. Thirty genotypes ofB. campestris were included in this study; twenty produced embryos. The highest yield was 5930 embryos per 100 buds from Canadian genotype Cv-2, this result was one of the best that had been reported in microspore culture inB. campestris. The buds measuring 2.0 mm to 3.9 mm in length responded best to produce embryos, the optimum timing for microspore culture was confirmed to be during the mid-late to very-late uninucleate stage. The buds could be removed from either the main raceme or lateral racemes. Activated charcoal (150 mg l^-1) was added to the liquid NLN medium, it promoted embryogenesis significantly; embryo development was faster and the embryo yield was significantly higher than those cultures without activated charcoal. The donor plant condition was considered an important factor influencing embryogenesis; older donor plants (older than five weeks) and a cold treatment are recommended.     

Organogenesis andin vitro flowering ofEchinochloa colona. Effect of growth regulators and explant types

Echinochloa colona regeneration via organogenesis in callus cultures derived from leaf base and mesocotyl expiants andin vitro flowering were achived. Shoot bud regeneration was achieved on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) basal medium supplemented with 6.66 μM 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 2.68 μM 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 3 % (m/v) saccharose. Regenerated shoots were rooted on half strength basal MS medium with 2 % (m/v) saccharose devoid of growth regulators. About 90 -95 % of rooted plantlets survived in the greenhouse.In vitro flowering was induced in the regenerated shoots derived from callus on half strength MS medium supplemented with 4.4 μM BAP, 74.07 μM adeninesulphate, 0.72 μM gibberellic acid, and 3 % (m/v) saccharose. The frequency ofin vitro flowering was 80 – 90 % in three repeated experiments. Fertile seeds were recovered fromin vitro grown plantlets which were subsequently germinated into plants. Acknowledgement: The authors wish to thank to the Department of Environment and Forests, Government of India for financial assistance to undertake this investigation.     

Gnawing damage by rodents to the seedlings ofFagus crenata andQuercus mongolica var.grosseserrata in a temperateSasa grassland-deciduous forest series in southwestern Japan

The effects of dwarf bamboo,Sasa, cover on the initial morrality of hardwood seedlings were investigated by transplanting 1-year-old beech (Fagus crenata) and current-year oak (Quercus mongolica var.grosseserrata) seedling to three different stands; old-growth beech and secondary oak forests withSasa undergrowth, and aSasa grassland in a grassland-forest series near the top of Mt Jippo, southwestern Japan. The most frequent cause of seedling morrality was gnawing of the stems by rodents. In the beech forest, the gnawing was more likely to occur underSasa cover, suggesting that it provides a good habitat for rodents on the beech forest floor. TheSasa under growth may thus play an imporrant role in regeneration of beech forest. In the oak floor, mortality of both species was low and only a little gnawing occurred during a year. However, no natural oak seedling were found in the forest even after a mast year. This may be because most of the acorns disappeated before establishment. The early-stage demography of hardwood seedling as oak may thus play an imporrant role in regeneration of oak forest. In theSasa grassland where the seed supply is small, almost all of the seedlings died fromo gnawing regardless of the presence ofSasa cover. These factors prevent the recruitment of a sizable seedling bank. Rodents may thus play an imporrant role in maintenance of theSasa grassland.     

普通小麦×东方旱麦草属间杂种的产生及无性系的建立

本研究以普通小麦（ＴｒｉｔｉｃｕｍａｅｓｔｉｖｕｍＬ．;２ｎ＝６ｘ＝４２,ＡＡＢＢＤＤ）为母本,以东方旱麦草（Ｅｒｅｍｏｐｙｒｕｍｏｒｉｅｎｔａｌｅ（Ｌ．）Ｊａｕｂ．ｅｔＳｐａｃｈ;２ｎ＝４ｘ＝２８）为父本,首次成功地获得了属间远缘杂种Ｆ１,其平均结实率为０．０８％。利用植物细胞工程技术,对杂种幼胚愈伤组织的诱导、胚性无性系的建立、植株再生、壮苗培养等,最终获得了生长正常的杂种Ｆ１植株。同时,通过对杂种幼胚愈伤组织、根尖细胞的细胞学观察,结果表明该杂种为真杂种,即２ｎ＝５ｘ＝３５（预期染色体数）的杂种细胞占主体;另外,因组培过程中发生了染色体数目的变异,故也有少量２ｎ＝２８－３４染色体数的细胞。以上杂种的获得为将旱麦草优异基因向小麦的转移奠定了基础。     

Plant regeneration from protoplasts of hydroxyproline resistant cell line in Onobrychis viciaefolia

An efficient protocol for plant regeneration from protoplasts of hydroxyproline(HYP)resistant cell line of Onobrychis viciaefolia was established.In SH medium supplemented with 1mg/L2,4-dichlorophenoxy-acetic acid(2,4-D),0.5mg/L kinetin(KT)and 0.2mg/L naphthalene acetic acid(NAA),the division frequency of protoplastderived cells reached up to over 60%,and microcalli were obtained in 5-6wk.Upon transferring them on agar solidified MS medium plus 2mg/L indole-3-acetic acid (IAA),shoots were induced.After cultivating them on MS medium with or without IAA,roots were regenerated.Chromosome number of all protoplast-regenerated plants examined were normal(2n=28).The protoplast-derived calli and plants grew vigorously on the medium containing 10 mmol/L HYP.     

可乐茄叶肉原生质体培养再生植株

本文报道茄属果树可乐茄（ＳｏｌａｎｕｍｑｕｉｔｏｅｎｓｅＬａｍ．）叶肉原生质体的分离、培养及植株再生。幼嫩叶片原生质体经酶游离、纯化后,以１×１０４个／ｍｌ密度培养于稍加改良Ｋ８ｐ（附加２,４－Ｄ０．５ｍｇＬ（－１）、ＮＡＡ１．０ｍｇＬ（－１）和ＢＡ０．５ｍｇＬ（－１））的培养基中,三天后开始分裂,一周分裂３—４次。一个月形成小细胞团,植板率为０．１—０．２％,小细胞团转培养于ＭＳ＋２,４－Ｄ０．５ｍｇＬ（－１）上增殖后进行分化。原生质体来源愈伤组织在ＩＡＡ（０．１—１．０ｍｇＬ（－１））与ＢＡ或ＺＴ组合的培养基中能诱导器官发生,芽分化率最高可达４２．９％;但ＩＡＡ、ＢＡ、ＺＴ三者一起使用未见任何器官分化。小芽在ＭＳ＋ＩＡＡ０．２ｍｇＬ（－１）中生根成植株。可乐茄叶肉原生质体的植株再生,可应用于育种和茄属植物遗传工程研究。     

Isolated microspore culture of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a defined media I. Effects of pretreatment,isolation methods,and hormones

Significant improvements were achieved in the production of haploid and doubled haploid plants from isolated microspore culture of wheat c.v. Chris on a defined media. Procedures found to be of benefit included: A 7-day pretreatment of anthers in 0.4M mannitol plus the macronutrients from FHG medium; the inclusion of 4.5 mg/liter abscisic acid in the pretreatment solution; the isolation of microspores from pretreated anthers by vortexing; and the use of phenylacetic acid (PAA) as the auxin source in MS medium. The best response was achieved with 4.0 mg/liter PAA in MS medium containing 90 g/liter maltose as the sugar source. Under these conditions, 68% of viable microspores underwent division, and an average of 93 embryos and 92 green plants were regenerated per 100 anthers used. The root-tip chromosome number and the fertility of 114 regenerating green plants revealed that 75% were completely fertile spontaneously doubled haploids.     

Thidiazuron-induced adventitious shoot regeneration of sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas)

Adventitious shoots of sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam.) were produced in vitro using a two-stage culture method. Petiole explants were incubated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (0.2 mg·liter^−1) for 3 d, and transferred to MS medium with thidiazuron (0 to 0.4 mg·liter^−1). Shoot regeneration was observed in most explants (78.2%) of genotype PI 318846-3 within 28 days when cultured on thidiazuron at 0.2 mg·liter^−1. Histological studies of cultured petiole explants showed meristematic activity within cells of vascular bundles and throughout the ground tissue. Explants isolated from apical leaves exhibited higher shoot regeneration frequency than those isolated from the basal portion of the shoot. Leaf lamina explants exhibited lower frequency of regeneration than petiole explants. In contrast to thidiazuron, the use of zeatin riboside, and kinetin resulted in a lower frequency of shoot regeneration although more sweetpotato genotypes could be regenerated using either of these two cytokinins. The sweetpotato plants regenerated using thidiazuron grew vigorously and rooted easily when transferred to the greenhouse.