Plant tissue culture media: Major constitutents, their preparation and some applications

M, Olivo A, Chacín N. Efectos de nitratos y sacarosa en la propagación in vitro de tres variedades de papa nativa

En Venezuela es prioridad rescatar las papas nativas por representar un gran alimento y un valioso recurso genético. Pero, desafortunadamente estas papas fueron desplazadas por variedades comerciales introducidas y las pocas semillas existentes están degeneradas y reutilizadas en continuos ciclos de siembra, No obstante, estandarizar las condiciones del cultivo aséptico es garantía de “semillas” rehabilitadas con mejor calidad fitosanitaria. Se planteó, entonces investigar el efecto de distintas concentraciones de nitratos y sacarosa en la propagación in vitro de variedades venezolanas   ̀̀Cucubaʹ  ̀̀Arbolona Negraʹ y  ̀̀Rosadaʹ. Segmentos uninodales fueron cultivados e incubados en fotoperíodo de16 horas de luz (76 μmol m-2 s-1) y temperatura 19º C ± 1. Fue implementado el diseño estadístico factorial, estableciendo tres tratamientos partiendo del medio básico Murashige & Skoog (MS), sólido. Hubo un efecto significativo entre los tratamiento, al menos una de las medias es diferente a las otras, para las tres variedades la mayor inducción de crecimiento ocurrió, al modificar MS aumentando sus concentraciones de nitrato de amonio a 1,98 g L-1, nitrato de potasio 2,28 g L-1y bajando sacarosa a 20 g L-1, los vástagos desarrollaron 5,82 cm. de longitud promedio y las raíces 3 cm. Mientras, el MS (tratamiento control), presentó vástagos de 2,94cm. longitud promedio y sin enraizar. Entre las variedades ̀̀Cucuba´ obtuvo el mayor crecimiento. Posteriormente, las vitroplántulas resultantes, tratadas en MS líquido, con sacarosa al 8 % fueron inducidas a producir microtubérculos a los 90 días. Obteniendo así resultados prometedores para la propagación in vitro de las papas nativas.

Production of therapeutically relevant indolizidine alkaloids in Securinega suffruticosa in vitro shoots maintained in liquid culture systems

Microshoot cultures of the Chinese medicinal plant Securinega suffruticosa (Pall.) Rehd. were established and evaluated for the presence of therapeutically relevant indolizidine alkaloids securinine (S) and allosecurinine (AS). The cultures were maintained in shake flasks (SFs) and a bubble column bioreactor (BCB) using the modified Murashige's shoot multiplication medium supplemented with 1.0 mg l(-1) benzyladenine (BA), 3.0 mg l(-1) 2-isopentenyladenine (2iP), and 0.3 mg l(-1) 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). The influence of light and medium supplementation strategies with biosynthesis precursor (lysine (LY)) and nutrient formulations (casein hydrolysate (CH) and coconut water (CW)) on biomass growth and alkaloid production were investigated. SF cultures grown in the presence of light yielded up to 6.02 mg g(-1) dry weight (DW) S and 3.70 mg g(-1) DW AS, corresponding to the respective productivities of 98.39 and 60.21 mg l(-1). Among feeding experiments, CW supplementation proved most effective for SF-grown shoots, increasing biomass yield and AS productivity by 52 and 44 %, respectively. Maximum concentrations of securinine (3.25 mg g(-1) DW) and allosecurinine (3.41 mg g(-1) DW) in BCB cultures were achieved in the case of 1.0 g l(-1) LY supplementation. These values corresponded to the productivities of 42.64 and 44.47 mg per bioreactor, respectively.

In vitro regeneration and multiplication of Passiflora hybrid "Guglielmo Betto"

With more than 450 species, Passiflora is the most important genus of the family Passifloraceae. It comprises many species grown for their edible fruits, for their high ornamental value, and further for the therapeutic properties. With their striking exotic flowers, they are of particular interest for the floriculture market. With the aim of evaluating the in vitro propagation of an Italian ornamental hybrid, axillary tendrils of Passiflora "Guglielmo Betto" M. Vecchia (P. incarnata L. x P. tucumanensis L.) were sterilized and placed in vitro. Direct shoot regeneration was achieved from young tendrils cultivated on MS medium containing, either 4.43 microM 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 11.41 microM indoleacetic acid (IAA), or 49.20 microM 6-gamma-gamma-dimethylallylaminopurine (2iP) and 2.68 microM alpha-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), respectively. In vitro shoot multiplication, rooting, and regenerated plant acclimatization protocols were established.

In vitro manipulation and propagation of medicinal plants

Well developed techniques are currently available to help growers meet the demand of the pharmaceutical industry in the next century. These protocols are designed to provide optimal levels of carbohydrates, organic compounds (vitamins), mineral nutrients, environmental factors (e.g. light, gaseous environment, temperature, and humidity) and growth regulators required to obtain high regeneration rates of many plant species in vitro and thereby facilitate commercially viable micropropagation. Well-defined cell culture methods have also been developed for the production of several important secondary products. An overview of the regeneration of medicinal plants by direct and indirect organogenesis and by somatic embryogenesis from various types of explants is presented, and the use of these techniques combined with other biotechnological approaches to improve medicinal plants through somaclonal variation and genetic transformation is reviewed.

Distribution of allergens and allergen-coding mRNAs in various tissues of white birch

The distribution of allergenic proteins was investigated in various tissues of white birch, Betula verrucosa (pollen, leaves and male inflorescences containing immature pollen). In addition, callus and suspension culture cells were investigated for expression of IgE-binding proteins. Furthermore, RNA was extracted from all these tissues and subjected to in vitro translation in a cell-free wheat germ system. Bet v I, the major birch pollen allergen, could be extracted easily from pollen, and in low amounts from callus and leaves. No Bet v I could be extracted from immature male inflorescences. Minor allergens were expressed in high concentrations in pollen and in low concentrations in immature male inflorescences. No minor allergens could be detected in callus and leaves. In contrast to these observations, RNA from all the tissues as well as from callus could be translated in vitro into Bet v I as well as into minor allergens, in particular birch profilin (Bet v II), an important minor allergen. These data suggest that IgE-binding proteins of B. verrucosa, especially Bet v I, under certain circumstances can readily be synthesized in tissues other than pollen. This concept is corroborated by the recent observation that Bet v I reveals high homology with disease resistance response gene products from other plants, suggesting a similar function of Bet v I for the birch.

Sporophytic-gametophytic herbicide tolerance in sugarbeet

In vitro selection procedures for herbicide tolerance were initially developed in the sporophytic generation of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.), and then tested in the gametophytic generation. The primary objective of our study was to develop and evaluate in vitro techniques for identifying genotypes within heterogeneous seedling populations tolerant to specific herbicides, and to use meristematic cloning procedures to synthesize clones genetically tolerant to the herbicide. Seed from cloned selections tolerant to the herbicide ethofumesate were obtained and compared to plants from seed of the original population (using germination, central bud development, and root dry weight). Verification for in vitro selection accuracy was accomplished by pollen germination studies in the gametophyte. The results indicate that in vitro selection of germinated seedlings in the presence of the proper concentration of challenging agent can be effective in identifying genotypes tolerant to ethofumesate. Such identification was accomplished in fully differentiated tissue, but without the necessity of mature plants. Gametophytic studies, via pollen germination, indicated an association between genes operating in the sprophyte and those in the gametophyte. Cloning the seedlings identified as tolerant genotypes, and subsequent intercrossing of these clones provided a convenient method of synthesizing populations with gene frequencies shifted in the direction desired.