Approaches to Cereal Protoplast Culture: Morphogeny Cultures in Wheat (Triticum)

Abstract

Despite continuous and intensive efforts, protoplasts isolated from cereal plants have not divided so far (1). There is only one unreproducible exception to this statement (2). Cell division appears to be blocked very efficiently in differentiated cereal cells. Proliferating cell cultures can, however, be induced in-vitro from immature embryos (scutellum), leaves, inflorescences, and microspores (3). These cell cultures are, however, not populations of independant and potentally totipotent cells, but proliferating adventitious meristems. Besides predominating root-meristem cultures shoot- and embryo-meristem cultures develope, depending upon the cereal species, genotype, tissue type and developmental stage used. Plants can be regenerated exclusively from these shoot- and embryo meristems. The ‘logic’ approach to cereal protoplast culture is,therefore, via shoot- or embryo-meristem culture.