ARS | Publication request: ADVENTITIOUS SHOOT REGENERATION FROM LEAF CULTURES OF CHOKECHERRY (PRUNUS VIRGINIANA L.)

Submitted to: Society for In Vitro Biology Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 20, 2005
Publication Date: June 30, 2005
Citation: Srinivasan, C., Scorza, R. 2005. Adventitious shoot regeneration from leaf cultures of chokecherry (prunus virginiana l.). Society for In Vitro Biology Proceedings.

Technical Abstract: Prunus species are generally recalcitrant to regenerate adventitious shoots from vegetative organs such as leaves. Although there are few reports of regenerating transgenic Prunus plants, most of the reports cannot be routinely used for Prunus transformation primarily due to very low regenerative competence. In order to develop an efficient regeneration for Prunus, we are evaluating regenerative competence of explants from wide range of Prunus species. Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana L.) is one of the popular Prunus species used for wild life conservation and wild life habitat in North America. Shoot multiplication cultures were established in vitro from four genotypes of P. virginiana by culturing in agar solidified Murashiege and Skoog (MS) medium containing 10 'M benzyl adenine (BA). To induce adventitious shoot regeneration, young leaves (1-6 mm long) excised from actively growing shoot cultures were cultured on different plant culture media supplemented with 5-20 'M BA or 5-10 'M thidiazuron (TDZ). Leaves cultured under light did not regenerate any shoots. Culture of 1-4 mm long leaves in dark for three weeks on Woody plant medium containing 5 'M BA and transfer to Schenk and Hildebrandt (SH) medium containing 10 'M BA induced 49 percent of the leaves to regenerate adventitious shoots. P. virginiana cv ‘Schubert’ produced more adventitious shoots than three other genotypes tested. Browning of leaf cultures appeared to reduce shoot regeneration. Methods to reduce browning and improving shoot regeneration from leaves by using polyvinyl pyrolidine, polyamines, and cysteine will be discussed.