Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 2013-09-01

Somatic embryo-like structures of strawberry regenerated in vitro on media supplemented with 2,4-D and BAP.

Genesia F Omar, Fouad H Mohamed, Klaus-Thomas Haensch, Sawsan H Sarg, Mohamed M Morsey

Index: Indian J. Exp. Biol. 51(9) , 739-45, (2013)

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Abstract

Somatic embryo-like structures (SELS) were produced in vitro from leaf disk and petiole explants of two cultivars of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch) on Murashige and Skoog medium with different concentrations and combinations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and sucrose to check the embryonic nature of these structures histologically. A large number of SELS could be regenerated in both cultivars on media with 2-4 mg L(-1) 2,4-D in combination with 0.5 -1 mg L(-1) BAP and 50 g x L(-1) sucrose. Histological examination of SELS revealed the absence of a root pole. Therefore these structures cannot be strictly classified as somatic embryos. The SELS formed under the tested culture conditions represent malformed shoot-like and leaf-like structures. The importance of these results for the propagation of strawberries via somatic embryogenesis is discussed.