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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