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Title: IMPROVED SHOOT ORGANOGENESES FROM LEAF EXPLANTS OF HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRY

Author
item CAO, XIAOLING - CONTRACT EMPLOYEE
item Hammerschlag, Freddi

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/19/1999
Publication Date: 6/20/2000
Citation: Cao, X., Hammerschlag, F.A. Improved shoot organogeneses from leaf explants of highbush blueberry. Hortscience. 35:945-947

Interpretive Summary: Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) is difficult to improve by conventional breeding. Utilizing genetic engineering technologies to introduce genes for cold tolerance and/or disease resistance is a viable alternative to conventional breeding. However, to date, it has not been possible to regenerate many commercially important blueberry cultivars from cell cultures, an important first step for successful gene transfer. In this study, we found that a plant hormone and high light levels improve the efficiency of shoot regeneration from leaf explants of several commercially important blueberry cultivars. This information should be useful to other scientists interested in improving blueberry via gene transfer technologies.

Technical Abstract: The effects of age of explant source, length of dark treatment, the addition of either thidiazuron (TDZ) at 1 or 5 uM, or zeatin riboside at 20 uM to the regeneration medium, and a photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) of either 18 +/- 5 or 55 +/- 5 umol per square meter per second on shoot organogenesis were investigated. A maximum of 13.0, 13.0, 12.6 and 4.6 shoots regenerating per explant for cultivars Duke, Georgiagem, Sierra and Jersey, respectively, occurred on regeneration medium with zeatin riboside and under a PPF of 55 +/- 5 umol per square meter per sec. Duke' regenerated equally well on regeneration medium with either zeatin riboside or 1 uM TDZ, whereas the number of shoots per explant for Georgiagem' and Sierra' was significantly higher on zeatin riboside. A PPF of 55 +/- 5 umol per square meter per second significantly increased regeneration of Duke', Jersey', and Sierra' on zeatin riboside compared to regeneration under a PPF of 18 +/- 5 umol per square meter per second, but inhibited regeneration of Duke' on 5 uM TDZ. There were no significant differences in percentage of regeneration or the number of shoots regenerating per explant from leaf explants derived from either 1-, 2-, or 3-week-old shoot cultures, or when either 1 week or 2 weeks of dark preceded light treatments.