Production of salt tolerant embryos and cytological changes associated with tolerance in microspores of oilseed rape

Zaki, Maged; Tawab, Sahar

doi:10.21608/taec.2001.12457

Production of salt tolerant embryos and cytological changes associated with tolerance in microspores of oilseed rape

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Maged Zaki ¹
Sahar Tawab ²

¹ Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, Institute for Efficient Productivity, University of Zagazig, Zagazig, Egypt

² Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, College for Girls, University of Ain Shams, Cairo, Egypt.

10.21608/taec.2001.12457

Abstract

Experiments were carried out to investigate the potential for selecting microspores tolerant to NaCl and subsequently to regenerate pollen-derived plantlets. The oil rapeseed plant Brassica napus L.Topas was used in this investigation. Microspores at appropriate stage of development were isolated from anthers and cultured in liquid medium using a range of NaCl concentrations to establish the dose response. The low levels of sodium chloride in culture medium imposed stress on the cultured microspores resulting in symmetrical embryogenic division. Microspore embryogenesis was entirely halted when the culture medium was supplemented with high levels of salt. Ultrastructural survey indicated that microspores grown under saline condition were characterized by accumulation of large number of ribosomes and endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm, formation of thick wall and persistence of large vacuole and presence of numerous lipid droplets. These results indicate that alteration in cytological pattern of cell grown under saline condition is a key factor for regulation of the system that in turn confers resistance to saline stress. The mechanism by which sodium chloride possibly exerts its effect on genes is discussed.

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