Production and characterization of somatic hybrids between Solanum tuberosum L. and S. pinnatisectum Dun

• Published in: Plant cell, tissue and organ culture Vol. 107; no. 3; pp. 427 - 440
• Main Authors: Sarkar, D., Tiwari, Jagesh K., Sharma, Sushruti, Poonam, Sharma, Sanjeev, Gopal, J., Singh, B. P., Luthra, S. K., Pandey, S. K., Pattanayak, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.12.2011; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Blight; Diagnostic systems; Dihaploid; Electrofusion; Fertility; Flow cytometry; Foliage; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hybridization; Hybrids; Interspecific; Late blight; Leaves; Life Sciences; Original Paper; Phenotypes; Plant breeding; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plant Pathology; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Ploidy; Potatoes; Protoplast fusion; Regeneration; Shoots; Solanum pinnatisectum; Solanum tuberosum; Flow cytometry; Phenotype; SSR; RAPD; Somatic hybrid; Cytoplasm; Late blight resistance; Vegetals; Solanum tuberosum; S. pinnatisectum; Random amplified polymorphic DNA marker; Fungus resistance; Characterization; Dicotyledones; Microsatellite DNA; Angiospermae; Production; Spermatophyta; Solanaceae
• ISSN: 0167-6857; 1573-5044
• DOI: 10.1007/s11240-011-9993-8

Interspecific somatic hybrids between the dihaploid Solanum tuberosum and the wild species S. pinnatisectum Dun. were produced via protoplast fusion. Protoplast isolation, electrofusion, culture of post-fusion products and regeneration of calli/shoots were undertaken following optimized protocols. Regenerants were characterized for hybridity, ploidy and resistance to Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bery, causal fungal pathogen of late blight disease. From a total of 126 regenerated macrocalli, 12 somatic hybrids were confirmed by possessing species-specific diagnostic bands of their corresponding parents as revealed by RAPD, SSRs and cytoplasmic-DNA analyses. Tetraploid status of the 12 hybrids was determined using flow cytometry analysis. Intermediate phenotypes for leaf, flower, and tuber characteristics and high male fertility were observed in field-grown hybrid plants. Hybrids were highly resistant to foliage late blight based on field assessment for two seasons. In contrast, moderate level of resistance to foliage blight was observed in hybrids based on the detached leaf assay under laboratory conditions. Overall, somatic hybrids with moderate levels of resistance to foliage blight were identified, and these will be useful for in situ hybridization in potato breeding efforts.