Cytohistological analysis of somatic embryogenesis in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L). II. Natural fluorescence and direct somatic embryogenesis from protoplasts

Abstract

The development of protoplast derived from somatic embryos and some of their characteristics were compared with embryos from suspension and in vivo in the same B line. Embryos formed in a protoplast culture differed from others that their younger stages contained vacuolated cells, and older ones had altered morphological and histological structure. Somatic embryogenesis is more regular from suspension then from protoplasts. No distinct differences were observed in the rate of embryo development in vivo and in vitro, and in vitro embryos show a larger variation in size at the same stage. Embryos in vitro with fluorescence are generally larger than zygotic ones at each stage. The use of fluorescence is suggested for the selection of heterokariocytes after protoplast fusion.

Keywords

• direct somatic embryogenesis
• Cucumis sativus
• protoplasts
• natural fluorescence