There are multiple methodologies being followed for different types of plant cell/tissue culture techniques. The current know how in this area is such; it is not only possible to culture free cells, genetically alter them, induce cell divisions, and elicit secondary metabolite production; plant cells cultured from plants with desired combination of traits may be somatically…
Kinetin was the first cytokinin to be isolated from the DNA of herring sperm, and zeatin was the first plant cytokinin isolated from coconut liquid endosperm. Since then it has been reported from maize and several other plants. Cytokinins influence cell division and shoot formation. These have a synergistic effect with auxins and ratios of these…
They are groups of plant hormones, widely distributed in higher plants and known to exert profound influences on the growth and development of plants. They exert their effect at very low concentrations and regulate a range of cell activities such as cell growth, cell division, differentiation, morphogenesis, dormancy, and senescence. Following the discovery of their…
Gelling agents are used to make the media semi-solid for it to provide support to the explant without which it may submerge and deprive the growing cells of the needed oxygen. Agar (0.8–1%), agarose (0.4%), and gelrite—a bacterial polysaccharide (0.1–0.2%) are usually used as they withstand sterilization by autoclaving and are liquid while hot and…
Theoretically, cultured plant cells are equipped to synthesize the needed biomolecules, vitamins, and other growth elements. However these are supplied in the media for providing maximal/optimal conditions for growth. In general, sucrose in 2–5% concentration is the carbon source. Glucose, fructose, maltose, galactose, mannose, and lactose may also be used. Sucrose plays an important osmotic…
Plant cells in culture are required to be provided with a continuous supply of 12 inorganic elements. Elements—Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Sulphur, Calcium, Potassium, and Magnesium—required in quantities greater than 0.5 mM/L are macro elements. Micro elements—Iron, Manganese, Copper, Zinc, Boron and Molybdenum—are needed in concentrations less than 0.5 mmol/L. Nitrogen provided in the form of (NH4)+ or…
Plant-tissue culture basically involves growth of an excised plant organ or tissue called explant on a suitable nutrient medium under aseptic culturing conditions. Clean work areas with sufficient space for housing basic equipment like growth chambers, inoculation cabinets, shakers, centrifuges, autoclaves, ovens, microscopes, weighing equipment and so on in designated washing, media preparation, aseptic transfer…
The various techniques of plant-tissue culture have made possible medicinal plant improvement through genetic engineering, selection of higher yielding strains, generation of novel metabolites in culture, isolation of biosynthetic enzymes, and production of secondary metabolites of plant cells in much higher yields than in intact plants. Plant-tissue culture could thus be a significant source of…
Plants raised from cells genetically engineered to carry genes not native to the species are transgenic plants. There has been exciting progress in developing improved novel traits in many crop plants. The first transgenic tobacco plant was developed in 1983 followed by cotton, soybean, mustard, maize, and so on. There is a large-scale cultivation of…
Fusion of two protoplasts—plant cells whose rigid cell wall has been removed—facilitates fusion of their DNA, cell organelles, bacteria, and virus. This process of somatic hybridization following isolation, culture, and fusion of protoplasts is a very significant milestone in plant-tissue culture. The unique properties of protoplasts, their ability to regenerate a cell wall and resume…