Changes in fatty acid and lipid content in callus and protoplasts of Parthenocissus tricuspidata and Petunia hybrida during culture

Protoplasts isolated from callus cells of Petunia hybrida L. and Parthenocissus tricuspidata L. crown gall were used in order to correlate the fatty acid and lipid contents and composition during culture with the ability or unability of the cells to divide. Freshly isolated protoplasts were characterized by a decrease in fatty acids, galactoli-pids and phospholipids, an increased saturation of the fatty acids of the phospholipids and higher weight percentages of neutral lipids and phosphatidic acid. During culture, fatty acids and phospholipid increased in dividing protoplast of Petunia but not in non-dividing protoplasts of Parthenocissus. The findings may imply a two-stage response to isolation stresses: the first step being lipid degradation and the second lipid biosynthesis.