PROTOPLAST AND CELL CULTURE METHODS IN SOMATIC HYBRIDIZATION IN HIGHER PLANTS

Abstract

New advances have been made in the development of procedures for somatic cell hybridization in plants. The techniques involve plant tissue culture, whereby it is possible to grow cells of most plants under sterile conditions in chemically defined media. Somatic hybridization can be achieved by cell fusion. The procedure consists of a series of steps beginning with the production of plant protoplasts obtained by enzymatic removal of the cell walls. Hybrid cells from heterokaryons of a wide range of plant genera and families have been obtained after protoplast fusion and subsequent culturing, e.g. soybean-barley. An alternate method for transferring genetic information consists of feeding isolated DNA to protoplasts or to plant organs. Correction of biochemical lesions has been possible by such procedures. Some success has been achieved in growing plants from cultured cells and protoplasts. These methods may then be applied to obtain hybrid plants. Intergeneric hybrid plants thus obtained can subsequently be utilized in conventional plant breeding programs, and for genetic analyses.