Different behavior of alloplasmic lines of Zea mays under tissue
culture
--Galian, LR; Hirschhorn, E; Caso, O
Callus generation and regeneration frequency in corn (Zea
mays L.) depends on plant donor cultivars and is under genetic
control. Frequency is also affected by environmental conditions of
mother plants, and later in vitro culture conditions for the
explants. Many workers have defined methods for modifying in
vitro conditions, to obtain new adapted genotypes. But the
effort had limited results. A factor which is not considered often
enough is cytoplasm influence on in vitro culture adaptation.
Mazoti (1978, 1987) has identified nucleus-cytoplasm
interactions, using corn lines of two distinct cytoplasms. These
interactions were called heritable cytoplasmic actions. This means
that the cytoplasm conditions the expression of the genotype.
One inbred line was improved in two different cytoplasms, called E
(Euchlaena cytoplasm) and Z (Zea mays ssp. mays cytoplasm).
The inbreds E and Z respond favorably to N6 salts with 3%
sucrose. It may be deduced that the most appropiate 2,4-D
concentratiion for the inbred E is 0.5 mg/l without kinetin. On the
other hand, the inbred Z needs kinetin in the culture medium to
originate regenerative callus.
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