Albino inflorescence proliferation of Dendrocalamus latiflorus

Summary Inflorescence proliferation is a plant tissue culture technique that, can be used to obtain in vitro inflorescences year-round without the intervening development of vegetative organs. In this study, we used albino mutant inflorescences of Dendrocalamus latiflorus as the original explant material to investigate, the effect of plant growth regulators on long-term inflorescence proliferation. The albino inflorescences proliferated on solidified Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with thidiazuron (TDZ), and the optimal concentration for successful long-term inflorescence proliferation was 0.45 μM TDZ. A combination of α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) with 0.45 μM TDZ inhibited the inflorescence proliferation. Inflorescences cultured on a TDZ-free medium supplemented with 26.82 μM NAA rooted in 21 d, vegetative shoots formed by 42 d and, in one case, flowering occurred after 63 d. The auxins 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D, 4.52 μM) and pieloram (4.14 μM) induced shoot formation. The protocol described can be used to produce large numbers of mutant inflorescences within a relatively short period of time.     

True potato seed quality

Summary Environmental influence on physiological factors that determine seed quality is discussed in relation to true potato seed (TPS). This review has been motivated by the need for high quality seed for the proper evaluation of TPS technology. The objectives of tuber production may not be in harmony with those required for the production of high quality TPS. The production of high quality TPS may be influenced by the stronger sink strength ability of fast developing tubers for assimilation of available nutrients. Earliness of tuber formation, which is needed in TPS progenitors, may tend to result in incomplete TPS development. Limiting conditions during seed development decrease the potential of the seed for field establishment. Seed vigor is the most important attribute of seed quality since it is essential for seedling performance under the adverse conditions commonly encountered during field development. The attractiveness of TPS technology for tropical areas, where potato production is limited by low-quality seed tuber availability, is decreased by the lack of seedling vigor and uniformity of seedlings derived from TPS. Current research indicates that considerable genetic improvement of TPS vigor and uniformity is possible. It is suggested that significant immediate improvement of TPS quality would result from agronomic techniques that reflect understanding of the physiological factors that influence the production and maintenance of high quality seed. Research areas needed to develop methodologies for TPS production with optimum expression of genotype are identified.Abbreviations TPS True potato seed - CIP International Potato Center, Lima, Peru - SD Short day - LD Long day - INIA Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Chile - GA Gibberellic acid     

Determination for inflorescence development is a stable state,separable from determination for flower development in Pisum sativum L. buds

Terminal meristems of Pisum sativum (garden pea) transit from vegetative to inflorescence development, and begin producing floral axillary meristems. Determination for inflorescence development was assessed by culturing excised buds and meristems. The first node of floral initiation (NFI) for bud expiants developing in culture and for adventitious shoots forming on cultured meristems was compared with the NFI of intact control buds. When terminal buds having eight leaf primordia were excised from plants of different ages (i.e., number of unfolded leaves) and cultured on 6-benzylaminopurine and kinetin-supplemented medium, the NFI was a function of the age of the source plant. By age 3, all terminal buds were determined for inflorescence development. Determination occurred at least eight nodes before the first axillary flower was initiated. Thus, the axillary meristems contributing to the inflorescence had not formed at the time the bud was explanted. Similar results were obtained for cultured axillary buds. In addition, meristems excised without leaf primordia from axillary buds three nodes above the cotyledons of age-3 plants gave rise to adventitious buds with an NFI of 8.3 ±0.3 nodes. In contrast seed-derived plants had an NFI of 16.5 ±0.2. Thus cells within the meristem were determined for inflorescence development. These findings indicate that determination for inflorescence development in P. sativum is a stable developmental state, separable from determination for flower development, and occurring prior to initiation of the inflorescence at the level of meristems.     

从棒头草(Polypogon fugax Nees ex Steud)幼穗培养获得体细胞胚和再生植株

棒头草幼穗在含2,4-D的MS培养基上诱导出了胚性、非胚性和中间型愈伤组织。根据形态、淀粉粒等指标可将组成这些愈伤组织的细胞分为三类。改变培养基中2,4-D的浓度,能诱导三类愈伤组织相互转变。从胚性愈伤组织中诱导形成了大量体细胞胚;体细胞胚是从单个原胚细胞直接发育而来,它们能正常萌发、再生小植株。这种再生能力现已保持了34个月。小植株移植在土壤中可以正常生长、分蘖、开花和结实。     

Experimentally induced true hermaphroditism in genetically female fowl

Summary Two types of hermaphroditism were experimentally induced in genetically female fowls by grafting of embryonic testes in embryos. Of the 27 hermaphrodites observed during the 8 months after hatching, 20 possessed a right testis and a left ovary and 7 a right testis and a left ovotestis. The testes and ovotestes contained seminiferous tubules with a more or less developed germ cell complement, attaining in many cases the early spermatid stage. The interstitial tissue was poorly functional, as shown by the absence of male secondary sex characters. The ovary or ovarian part of the ovotestes possessed numerous small ovarian follicles. The female arrangement of the plumage and the absence of spurs demonstrated the secretion of oestrogens. A mechanism is proposed for explaining this partial masculinization of genetically female gonads, a phenomenon which occurs during the period of embryonic sex differentiation, and is responsible for this experimental true hermaphroditism.     

Plant regeneration from embryogenic callus initiated from immature inflorescences of several high-tannin sorghums

A procedure was established for the induction of regenerable calli from immature inflorescence segments of high-tannin cultivars of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench). Murashige & Skoog's medium with several components altered was utilized for inducing, maintaining, and regenerating the cultures. Embryogenic calli formed at a frequency of 8–70% depending on the genotype. During a ten-month period, 3600 plants were regenerated from eight genotypes tested. Among the developmental stages of immature inflorescence tested (from differentiation of secondary branch primordia to floret formation) no critical differences were found in potential for callusing, embryogenesis or regeneration. Genotypic differences were observed in pigment production, embryogenic callus formation, shoot differentiation, and in maintenance of regeneration capacity.Abbreviations 2,4-D dichlorophenoxyacetic acid This is Journal Paper Number 11972 from the Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station     

水稻体细胞无性系R_1、R_2代中的雄性育性变异观察

通过水稻幼穗培养,１９９１－１９９２两年间,在５个品种（珍汕９７Ｂ、红源Ａ、包源Ａ、Ｗ６１５４ｓ,和南广占）中共获得了５０株雄性不育变异株,其中Ｒ_１代有４８株,Ｒ_２代有２株。在Ｒ１代,共获得５２６８株再生植株,雄性不育变异的平均频率为０．９１％（０．８３－１．０８％）;在Ｒ_２代（珍汕９７Ｂ）发生雄性不育变异的频率为２％。本文报道了多种花粉败育类型之间可以相互转变现象,此外不育和可育之间亦可以相互转变。对离体培养产生的雄性不育变异株用一批现有ＣＭＳ（Ｃｙｔｏｐｌａｓｍｉｃｍａｌｅｓｔｅｒｉｌｅ）不育系的典型保持系、恢复系进行测交,结果表明,Ｗ６１５４ｓ产生的雄性育性变异株仍保持核不育的特性;红源Ａ产生的雄性育性变异株有的可能是嵌合体,有的其败育花粉类型虽发生了变化,但其恢保关系并没有改变,有的则可能已转成类似ＷＡ型的不育材料;南广占产生的典败变异株,其恢保关系类似ＷＡ型,可能属核不育转成ＣＭＳ的首例发现。     

Genetic analyses of signalling in flower development using Arabidopsis

Flower development can be divided into four major steps: phase transition from vegetative to reproductive growth, formation of inflorescence meristem, formation and identity determination of floral organs, and growth and maturation of floral organs. Intercellular and intracellular signalling mechanisms must have important roles in each step of flower development, because it requires cell division, cell growth, and cell differentiation in a concerted fashion. Molecular genetic analysis of the process has started by isolation of a series of mutants with unusual flowering time, with aberrant structure in inflorescence and in flowers, and with no self-fertilization. At present more than 60 genes are identified from Arabidopsis thaliana and some of them have cloned. Although the information is still limited, several types of signalling systems are revealed. In this review, we summarize the present genetic aspects of the signalling network underlying the processes of flower development.     

马铃薯实生苗子叶及下胚轴原生质体培养研究

用马铃薯普通栽培种（Ｓｏｌａｎｕｍ ｔｕｂｅｒｏｓｕｍ Ｌ．）３ 个品系的实生苗刚展开的子叶及下胚轴游离和培养原生质体。实验结果表明,子叶及下胚轴原生质体的分裂频率显著地高于经多次继代繁殖的试管苗顶部幼嫩叶片和茎尖的原生质体;在强连续光照下培养的实生苗,其原生质体的产量和质量都显著地高于弱光下培养的;在完全黑暗下培养的黄化实生苗不能游离出完整的原生质体;酶解前对子叶及下胚轴切段在酶液中进行真空渗透处理能显著地提高原生质体的产量,但此种处理对试管苗叶片无明显效果;下胚轴原生质体的产量显著地高于子叶,但在原生质体的质量方面,这两种组织间无明显的差异