In vitro regeneration, production, and storage of artificial seeds in Ceropegia barnesii, an endangered plant

• Published in: In vitro cellular & developmental biology. Plant Vol. 54; no. 5; pp. 553 - 563
• Main Authors: Ananthan, R., Mohanraj, Remya, Bai, V. Narmatha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer Science + Business Media, LLC (Springer) 01.10.2018; Springer US; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acids; Adenine; Alginic acid; Arbuscular mycorrhizas; artificial seeds; benzyladenine; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cell Biology; Ceropegia; culture media; Developmental Biology; Embryonic growth stage; Embryos; Encapsulation; Endangered plants; Explants; Fabrication; Fungi; genetic engineering; Glomus aggregatum; habitats; Hardening; Herbal medicine; in vitro regeneration; in vitro studies; indole butyric acid; Indole-3-butyric acid; Inoculation; Life Sciences; Micropropagation; mycorrhizal fungi; Nodes; Plant Breeding/Biotechnology; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plant Sciences; PLANT TISSUE CULTURE; plants (botany); Regeneration; Restoration; rooting; Seeds; Shoots; Sodium alginate; Somatic embryogenesis; Survival; survival rate; temperature; vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae; Mumbai India; India; Encapsulated nodes; Direct regeneration; Cytokinins; Storage; Somatic embryogenesis; Auxins; Organogenesis
• ISSN: 1054-5476; 1475-2689
• DOI: 10.1007/s11627-018-9934-x

Approaches for in vitro regeneration and fabrication of synthetic seeds were formulated to support restoration in the wild and genetic manipulation of Ceropegia barnesii (categorized as endemic and endangered). MS medium augmented with 4 mg L−1 benzyl adenine was most advantageous for the production of multiple shoots from nodal explants. Fabrication of synthetic seeds was accomplished by sodium alginate encapsulation of nodes from microshoots. The most favorable medium combination for the induction of multiple shoots from synthetic seeds was MS medium complemented with 4 mg L−1 benzyl adenine and 1 mg L−1 gibberelic acid. Following root induction promoted by half strength MS basal medium augmented with indolebutyric acid, multiple shoots were subjected to hardening. Influence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the hardening trials was investigated and it was observed that dual inoculation of Glomus aggregatum and G. intraradices enhanced the survival rate. The encapsulated nodes of C. barnesii were tested for their capability to endure different temperatures during storage and the optimal temperature for storage was found to be 4°C. A methodology for initiation of somatic embryogenesis from C. barnesii is also reported here, but embryos could not be induced to develop further. The micropropagated plants were reintroduced in to their natural habitat. This is the first report on micropropagation of C. barnesii.