Effects of sucrose on starch accumulation and rate of photosynthesis in Rosa cultured in vitro

Shootlets of Rosa multiflora L. cv. Montse were cultured in vitro with four different levels of sucrose (0, 1, 3 and 5%). Chloroplasts of shootlets grown in a medium without sucrose contained numerous, large plastoglobuli and were lacking in starch granules. The size and number of starch granules increased with the level of sucrose in the culture medium. Starch content in leaves of shootlets grown with 5% sucrose was higher (ca 1, 3%) than those grown with 3% (ca 0, 45%) and 1% sucrose (ca 0, 27%). Starch might be used by the in vitro shootlets during the acclimation period.Abbreviations BA benzyladenine - Pi orthophosphate - S sucrose - Rubisco ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase - TEM transmission electron microscopy