Plant cell graft chimeras obtained by co-culture of isolated protoplasts

Summary Heterospecific chimeralSolanum nigrum (+)Solanum tuberosum plants were obtained by cell grafting in protoplast co-cultures. Periclinal, sectorial, and mericlinal chimeras have been identified by various morphological and cytological characteristics.Morphogenesis predominantly began in periclinal chimeral organization. Cells of different species have been found to be interconnected by secondary plasmodesmata. Plantlets of all chimeral lines were grown to flowering under tissue culture conditions and some also in the greenhouse. Aspects of organogenesis and interspecific cooperation are discussed.Abbreviations B 5 culture medium (Gamborg et al. 1968) supplemented with 2.5M 6-benzyladenin - L1, L2, L3 epidermis (L1), subepidermal layer (L2), core (L3) - MS culture medium (Murashige andSkoog 1962) - n, n _w symbols used for the indication ofSn-F (n) orSn-F-W2 (n _w ) tissue in L1, L2 or L3 - Sn Solanum nigrum - Sn-F is an atrazine-resistant biotype - Sn-F-W2 is a plastid mutant malbino derivative ofSn-F - St Solanum tuberosum - St-H²258 is a dihaploid clone - t symbol used the indication ofSt-H²258 tissue in L1, L2 or L3 - V-KM culture medium (Binding and Nehls 1977) Dedicated to Professor Dr.Josef Straub, late Director of the Max-Planck-Institute für Züchtungsforschung at Cologne, who was the first to study the production of chimeras by callus association in 1972.