Thidiazuron induces shoot organogenesis at low concentrations and somatic embryogenesis at high concentrations on leaf and petiole explants of African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha Wendl.)

• Published in: Plant cell reports Vol. 21; no. 5; pp. 408 - 414
• Main Authors: MITHILA, J, HALL, J. C, VICTOR, J. M. R, SAXENA, P. K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 2003; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Comparative studies; Cultivars; Culture Techniques - methods; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Embryonic growth stage; Eukaryotic cell cultures; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Greenhouses; Growth regulators; In vitro propagation: entire plant regeneration from tissues and cell cultures; Leaves; Magnoliopsida - drug effects; Magnoliopsida - embryology; Magnoliopsida - physiology; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Phenylurea Compounds - pharmacology; Plant cells and fungal cells; Plant Leaves - drug effects; Plant Leaves - embryology; Plant Leaves - physiology; Plant Shoots - drug effects; Plant Shoots - embryology; Plant Shoots - physiology; Regeneration - drug effects; Seeds - drug effects; Seeds - embryology; Seeds - physiology; Thiadiazoles; Auxin; Thidiazuron; Explant; Stem; Somatic embryo; Gesneriaceae; Morphogenesis; Regulation(control); Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Plant growth substance; Ureas; Intraspecific comparison; Saintpaulia ionantha; Exposure time; Embryonic development; Tissue specificity; Plant leaf; Saintpaulia ionantha Wendl; Cytokinin; Organogenesis; Morphogenesis Regeneration; Regeneration; Concentration effect; Flower crop; Spermatophyta; Phytohormone; Petiole
• ISSN: 0721-7714; 1432-203X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00299-002-0544-y

Regeneration via shoot organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis was observed from thidiazuron (TDZ)-treated leaf and petiole explants of greenhouse- and in vitro-grown African violet plants. The response of cultures to other growth regulators over a range of 0.5 microM to 10 microM was 50% less than that observed with TDZ. A comparative study among several cultivars of African violet indicated that "Benjamin" and "William" had the highest regeneration potential. In "Benjamin", higher frequencies of shoot organogenesis (twofold) and somatic embryogenesis (a 50% increase) were observed from in vitro- and greenhouse-grown plants, respectively. At concentrations lower than 2.5 microM, TDZ induced shoot organogenesis, whereas at higher doses (5-10 microM) somatic embryos were formed. These findings provide the first report of simultaneous shoot organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis of African violet explants in response to TDZ.