In vitro conservation of oil palm somatic embryos for 20 years on a hormone-free culture medium: characteristics of the embryogenic cultures, derived plantlets and adult palms

• Published in: Plant cell reports Vol. 29; no. 1; pp. 1 - 13
• Main Authors: Konan, K. Eugene, Durand-Gasselin, Tristan, Kouadio, Y. Justin, Flori, Albert, Rival, Alain, Duval, Yves, Pannetier, Catherine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 2010; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Arecaceae - embryology; Arecaceae - growth & development; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Cell Biology; Conservation of Natural Resources; Cryopreservation; Culture Media - chemistry; Embryos; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics; Growth regulators; Life Sciences; Original Paper; Plant Biochemistry; Plant Sciences; Plants genetics; Regeneration; Time Factors; Tissue Culture Techniques; “Mantled” floral abnormality; Somaclonal variation; In vitro conservation; Oil palm; Somatic embryogenesis; Human; Hormone; Culture medium; Embryonic development; Monocotyledones; Flower; Vegetals; somatic embryogenesis; Conservation; Tissue culture; In vitro; Somatic embryo; Palm oil; Mantled floral abnormality; Angiospermae; Adult; Plantlet; Spermatophyta; Palmae; In vitro conservation; Elaeis guineensis; PALMIER A HUILE; SOMACLONAL VARIATION; IN VITRO CONSERVATION; OIL PALM; EMBRYOGENESE SOMATIQUE; SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS; "MANTLED" FLORAL ABNORMALITY
• ISSN: 0721-7714; 1432-203X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00299-009-0787-y

This study was conducted over a period of 20 years, to assess the problems involved in developing subcultures over a very long period, of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) somatic embryos which were maintained in vitro on a Murashige and Skoog mineral-based culture medium, without growth regulators. Analysis of the proliferation rate of the embryogenic cultures, along with the survivability of the regenerated plantlets after their transfer into soil and of the flowering of the derived adult palms has been conducted for cultures maintained in vitro during 1 to 20 years. From the ninth year of maintenance, the tissue quality of the somatic embryos gradually began to decline. However, after more than 20 years, 30% of the 20 clones tested still continued to proliferate satisfactorily on the same maintenance medium, keeping their multiplication potential intact. Even though a depressive effect of the age of the lines has been observed on the survival capacity of plants under natural conditions, it is noteworthy that among the clones originating from 20-year-old cultures only eight of them (40%) have exhibited the “mantled” floral abnormality. Different hypotheses concerning the origin of the disruptions observed on the in vitro cultures, plantlets and adult palms that occur over a very long period of in vitro conservation are discussed.