Ploidy and Division Efficiency of Petiolar Protoplasts of Brassica Napus

Protoplast Regeneration and Its Use in New Plant Breeding Technologies

The development of gene-editing technology holds tremendous potential for accelerating crop trait improvement to help us address the need to feed a growing global population. However, the delivery and access of gene-editing tools to the host genome and subsequent recovery of successfully edited plants form significant bottlenecks in the application of new plant breeding technologies. Moreover, the methods most suited to achieve a desired outcome vary substantially, depending on species' genotype and the targeted genetic changes. Hence, it is of importance to develop and improve multiple strategies for delivery and regeneration in order to be able to approach each application from various angles. The use of transient transformation and regeneration of plant protoplasts is one such strategy that carries unique advantages and challenges. Here, we will discuss the use of protoplast regeneration in the application of new plant breeding technologies and review pertinent literature on successful protoplast regeneration.

Autotetraploid plant regeneration by indirect somatic embryogenesis from leaf mesophyll protoplasts of diploid Gentiana decumbens L.f

Somaclonal variation, often manifested as the increased ploidy of plants observed following in vitro culture, can be advantageous in ornamental species or those used for secondary metabolite production. Polyploidy occurs especially when plantlets are produced by protoplast and callus cultures. Plants were regenerated from green leaf mesophyll protoplasts of diploid Gentiana decumbens L.f. through somatic embryogenesis. A yield of more than 9 × 10⁵ protoplasts per gram of fresh weight was achieved by incubating fully expanded young leaves in an enzyme mixture containing 1.0% (w/v) cellulase and 0.5% (w/v) macerozyme. Protoplasts, cultured in agarose beads using a modified Murashige and Skoog medium, divided and formed microcalli, with the highest plating efficiency obtained on medium containing 2.0 mg l^-1 1-naphthaleneacetic acid and 0.1 mg l^-1 thidiazuron. Callus proliferation was also promoted by including thidiazuron in agar-solidified medium, while somatic embryogenesis was induced from microcalli on medium supplemented with 1.0 mg l^-1 kinetin, 0.5 mg l^-1 gibberellic acid, and 80 mg l^-1 adenine sulfate. Flow cytometric analysis and chromosome counting revealed that all regenerants were tetraploid.

Fertile pea plants regenerate from protoplasts when calluses have not undergone endoreduplication

Large numbers of viable protoplasts were isolated and cultured from five pea genotypes. Calluses obtained (percent final plating efficiency (% FPE)=0.65-2.82% of initially plated protoplasts) exhibited great differences in proliferation and regeneration competence between and within genotypes. Flow cytometric analyses showed the occurrence of endoreduplication processes correlated with such differences, and could serve as a tool for the early prediction of plant regeneration competence from protoplasts. Fertile plants were produced only from calluses with a normal DNA level.