• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.143-148
• /
• 1999

This study was conducted to elucidate the effects of ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid on somatic embryogenesis from the cultured cells of carrot. Ascorbic acid in culture medium merely stimulated the proliferation of non-embryogenic cells but dehydroascorbic acid in medium induced embryogenic cells from non-embryogenic cells accompanying the inhibition of cell proliferation. Ascorbic acid in medium inhibited somatic embryogenesis from embryogenic cells while dehydroascorbic acid in medium enhanced somatic embryogenesis from the cells as well as non-embryogenic cells. This enhancement was limited to globular embryos and the maturation to cotyledonary embryos was inhibited by dehydroascorbic acid treatment. From the above results it is suggested that carrot callus cultures on medium containing dehydroascorbic acid could quickly induce embryogenic cells. In addition after brief culture of embryogenic cells on development medium containing dehydroascorbic there by acid the subculture of the cells to MS basal medium resulted in the high frequency production of somatic embryos.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.245-258
• /
• 2000

Somatic embryogenesis has become a major tool in the study of plant embryology, as it is possible in culture to manipulate cells of many plant species to produce somatic embryos in a process that is remarkably similar to zygotic embryogenesis. Traditionally, the process has been studied by an examination of the ex vitro factors which influence embryo formation. Later structural, physiological and biochemical approaches have been applied. Host recently, molecular tools are being used. Together, these various approaches are giving valuable information on the process. This article gives an overview of somatic embryogenesis by reviewing information on the morphogenesis, physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology of the process. Topics covered include a brief description of the factors involved in the production of embryogenic cells. Carrot cell suspension is most commonly used, and the development of a high frequency and synchronous system is outlined. At the physiological and biochemical lev-els various topics, including the reactivation of the cell cycle, changes in endogenous growth regulators, amino acid, polyamine, DNA, RNA and protein metabolism, and embryogenic factors in conditioned medium are all discussed. Lastly, recent information on genes and molecular markers of the embryogenic process are outlined. Somatic embryogenesis, the best example of totipotency in plant cells, is not only an important tool in studies in basic biology, but is potentially of equal significance in the micropropagation of economically important plants.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.21-25
• /
• 1997

The growth. freezing resistance and electrophoretic protein patterns of carrot callus cultures were investigated following treatment with NaCl for various' intervals at 20$^{\circ}C$. Following 7 day exposure to 250 mM NaCl. freezing tolerance increased, which was measured by 2.3.5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) assay and fresh weight was reduced compared to control cells. Changes of electrophoretic patterns of total and boiling stable proteins were investigated using one or two dimensional gel system. Several proteins with molecular weight of 43 and 21 kDa increased by NaCl treatment. The most prominent change was detected in 21 kDa protein. The steady state level of this protein increased in NaCl treated cells, but decreased in control cells. Twenty one kDa protein was detected only in the NaCl treated cell when boiling stable protein was analyzed. The isoelectric point of 21 kDa protein was identified as 5.7. The timing of increase of 21 kDa protein was correlated to freezing resistance which implied the role of this protein in the induction of freezing resistance of the cell.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.107-114
• /
• 1996

The enhancing effect of excreted cell factors on the production of somatic embryos from suspension cultures of Daucus carota was studied as a function of factors including molecular size, harvesting time, injection period, and concentration of the extracellular compounds. The production of late-stage embryos was increased up to 1, 500 embryos/ml compared with control cultures when high molecular size and extracellular factors, extracted from newly established embryo culture at early stationary phase, were added at the starting time. The stimulating effect on the production of somatic embryos can be attributed to the presence of high molecular size(> 10 kDa) compounds.