Experiments on tissue culture in the genus Lycopersicon miller : Shoot formation from protoplasts of tomato long-term cell cultures

Abstract

Callus cultures from cotyledon explants were established and maintained in culture for more than two years. After several months callus cultures were transferred into liquid medium and cultured as cell suspensions. Protoplasts were isolated from these cell suspension cultures and cultured in a liquid medium. After formation of new cell walls the cells were further cultured in liquid medium and afterwards transferred to an agar-solidified medium to give a vigorously growing callus culture. In the case of the cultivar 'Lukullus' shoots were recovered from callus. All efforts to root these shoots failed and this, in addition to variations in appearence, suggests that the shoots are changed genetically possibly due to the prolonged culture period.