Growth of plant cell suspension cultures on glycerol as a sole source of carbon and energy

Abstract

Suspension cultures of Daucus carota Ca68, Cannabis sativa 95C, and Ipomoea sp. were screened for their ability to utilize an alternate to sucrose as a carbon source for growth. Of the substrates tested glycerol was chosen for further study and all three cultures were adapted to growth on this carbon source added in lieu of sucrose to 71V medium. Growth of C. sativa 95C proceeded only after a long lag phase. The latter could be reduced by replacing the ammonia nitrogen with nitrate nitrogen or almost eliminated by controlling the pH of the medium at either pH 5.1 or pH 6.3. In contrast, cultures of D. carota Ca68 and Ipomoea sp. grew on glycerol after a short lag of 1–2 days.The utilization of glycerol as a carbon source by plant cell cultures is discussed with respect to other reports using this and other substrates as alternatives to sucrose. The influence of ammonia on the initiation of growth, nitrate utilization, and the initial pH of the medium is discussed in view of our findings.