• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.23 no.3 s.55
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• pp.130-134
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• 1999

Somatic embryos were induced directly from cotyledon explants of Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 2,4-D, BAP, kinetin or lacking growth regulators. When somatic embryos formed on all media grew to cotyledonary stage, the further development of embryos was ceased and remained in white color. By gibberellic acid (over 1.0 mg/1 $GA_3$) treatment, all the somatic embryos turned rapidly to green and germinated within 3 weeks. Chilling treatment also induced the germination of somatic embryos. The effective temperature regime was $-2^{\circ}C$ for over 8 weeks but more higher temperature than $0^{\circ}C$ did not effective for germination of somatic embryos. Ultrastructural observation revealed that the cotyledon cells of somatic embryos without chilling or $GA_3$ treatment contained numerous lipid reserves, dense cytoplasm, proplastids and non-activated mitochondria with poorly differentiated internal structure, but the cotyledon cells of germinating somatic embryos after chilling or $GA_3$ treatment highly vacuolated and contained well-developed chloroplasts and active state of mitochondria enclosing numerous cristae. The above results indicate that in vitro developed somatic embryos of Panax ginseng may be dormant after mature similar to zygotic embryos.