biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 27:241-248, 1985 | DOI: 10.1007/BF02879854

Determination in plant cells

P. F. Wareing¹, T. Al-Chalabi¹

¹ Department of Botany and Microbiology, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK

The possibility that some of the variation in callus cultures involves epigenetic changes is examined in cultures established from the hypoootyls and roots ofEuphorbia heterophylla. It is shown that the responses of the cultures are affected by the light regimes under which they are grown and that in the dark and under short photoperiods, there are differences between the two types of culture with respect to pigmentation, auxin requirement, capacity to regenerate buds and roots and in certain isozyme patterns, whereas the two cultures are similar from the first passage under continuous light. However, these differences are only maintained for 2-3 passages, after which the root callus becomes similar to the hypoc otyl callus. Evidence is presented that these differences between cultures are epigenetic. Callus cultures established from the apical meristems of shoots and roots ofE. hetero phylla show similar differences to those observed between hypocotyl and root cultures and these differences are also lost after 3 passages. These results indicate that the cells of apical meristems are not totally uncommitted, but are determined as 'shoot' and 'root' meristem colls, respectively. The practical importance of a better understanding of epigenetic effects in plant cells is strassed.

Published: July 1, 1985  Show citation