Hyperhydricity of micropropagated shoots: a typically stress-induced change of physiological state

• Published in: Plant cell, tissue and organ culture Vol. 77; no. 2; pp. 181 - 191
• Main Authors: KEVERS, Claire, FRANCK, Thierry, STRASSER, Reto J, DOMMES, Jacques, GASPAR, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.05.2004; Kluwer Academic Publ
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biologie végétale (sciences végétales, sylviculture, mycologie...); Biotechnologie; Biotechnology; Eukaryotic cell cultures; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; hyperhydricity; JKB-trilogy; Life sciences; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Microbiologie; Microbiology; micropropagation; Miscellaneous; Phytobiology (plant sciences, forestry, mycology...); Plant cells and fungal cells; Sciences du vivant; state change; stress concept; Cell culture; Vegetals; Micropropagation; Stress
• ISSN: 0167-6857; 1573-5044; 1573-5044
• DOI: 10.1023/B:TICU.0000016825.18930.e4

Hyperhydricity of micropropagated shoots, formerly called vitrification, undoubtedly results from growth and culture conditions, subjectively reputated as stressing factors: wounding, infiltration of soft culture medium, generally of a high ionic strength, rich in nitrogen and in growth regulators in a special balance, in a humid and gaseous confined atmosphere. Stress is (objectively) defined as a disruption of homeostasis resulting from a constraint escaping the usual flexibility of metabolism. It induces another temporary (reversible) or definitive (irreversible) thermodynamic physiological state. The state-change concept developed by Strasser (1988) and Strasser and Tsimilli-Michael (2001) is applicable to the phenomenon of hyperhydricity. An appraisal of the redox capacities of hyperhydrated shoots together with a study of some enzymic activities that catalyse pentose phosphate and glycolytic pathways has indeed shown that such shoots have evolved towards a temporary state of lower differentiation or a juvenile state with a sufficient activity to survive and to defend themselves.