CHESTNUT HILL, MASSACHUSETTS

Boston College

The effect of high sugar content media on callus proliferation and shoot regeneration ----Y. C. Ting and Stephen Schneider In the summer of 1989 a study of the effect of high sucrose-content media on callus proliferation and shoot differentiation was carried out. The following five callus lines were employed: 81-B5, 88-S5, 87-S4, 85-N1, Cm17-3-54. All of these lines derived from anther culture and they were maintained for at least one year by continuous subculturing. Except for line 81-B5, which was recently cytologically identified to be polyploid, their genomic constitutions were not scrutinized. The morphology of line 81-B5 was creamy and rough-surfaced, while that of the others was green-yellow and compact-surfaced. The media employed were MS and N6 to which 8 g sucrose, 2 mg 6BA, and 2mg NAA were added per liter. There were five dishes (replicates) of callus of each line for each treatment (medium). In each dish, there were 25 pieces of callus and they were about the same in size. Their diameter and weight were not accurately determined. After the calluses had been on the media for four weeks they were examined under a binocular. It was found that lines 88-S5, 87-S4, 85-N1, and Cm17-3-54 had abundant proliferation and embryogenesis. Certain embryogenic areas showed shoot differentiation and recovery of plantlets. However, for line 81-B5 no evidence of embryogenesis was observed even though the proliferation was generally adequate. In view of the above, it seems clear that the in vitro traits such as growth and regeneration of maize callus lines are governed by genotypic background.

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