Embryology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Embryology, including details on stem cells, reproduction, transplants, cloning.

Histological study of embryo-like structures initiated from hypocotyl segments of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.).

Salaj J, Petrovská B, Obert B, Pret'ová A

Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Akademická 2, P.O. Box 39 A, SK-950 07 Nitra 1, Slovak Republic. nrgrsala@savba.sk

Cultivation of flax hypocotyl segments on MS medium supplemented with auxin (2,4-D, NAA) and combination of auxin (NAA) and cytokinin (BAP, zeatin) resulted in production of callus on the cut ends of segments and prolonged cultivation in globular structures resembling early stages of somatic embryos. Embryo-like structures protruded on the surface directly from the subepidermal layers of hypocotyl segments. Despite these globular structures closely resembling somatic embryos, histological observations did not reveal their embryogenic character-organogenesis was the predominant developmental morphogenic pathway. Based on our experiments, as well as on critical revision of existing reports on flax somatic embryogenesis, we conclude, that there has not yet been convincing histological proof of somatic embyogenesis from flax hypocotyl segments.

Published 18 November 2005 in Plant Cell Rep, 24(10): 590-5.
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