Somatic embryogenesis in the medicinal legume Desmodium motorium (Houtt.) Merr

• Published in: Plant cell, tissue and organ culture Vol. 106; no. 3; pp. 409 - 418
• Main Authors: Chitra Devi, B., Narmathabai, V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.09.2011; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abnormalities; Abscisic acid; Acetic acid; Adenine; Benzyladenine; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Desmodium; Embryos; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Germination; Heart; Hormones; Indoleacetic acid; Legumes; Life Sciences; Original Paper; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plant Pathology; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plantlets; Regeneration; Seedlings; Somatic embryogenesis; Sucrose; Sugar; Torpedo; Secondary embryogenesis; Cotyledon explants; Somatic embryogenesis; Fabaceae; Embryonic development; Vegetals; Cotyledon; Tissue culture; Explant; Desmodium; Somatic embryo; Medicinal plant; Leguminosae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0167-6857; 1573-5044
• DOI: 10.1007/s11240-011-9937-3

An efficient protocol was established for regeneration of Desmodium motorium via somatic embryogenesis. Embryogenic calli were induced from cotyledon segments (6 mm, 16 days old) lacking embryo axis, excised from seedlings grown in vitro on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) (2.9 μM) in combination with 6-benzyladenine (BA) (4.44 and 8.88 μM). Differentiation of embryogenic calli into globular and heart-shaped somatic embryos was achieved on transfer to hormone-free MS medium. When incubated for 4 days on MS medium supplemented with BA (8.88 μM), 95% of the globular and heart-shaped somatic embryos matured into torpedo and cotyledonary stages with minimum (10%) abnormalities. Modified MS basal medium without hormones and containing half-strength macronutrients and 0.88 M sucrose was suitable for germination of mature somatic embryos. Regenerated plantlets were successfully transferred to earthen pots with survival rate of 50%. Secondary embryogenesis was observed when pre-existing somatic embryos at globular and heart-shaped stages were cultured on MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of BA, adenine sulphate (AdS) and abscisic acid (ABA) individually.