Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

In vitro somatic embryogenesis is an important pre requisite for the use of many biotechnological tools for genetic improvement, as well as for mass propagation. Thus the establishment of embryogenic cultures has a great potential to aid crop improvement through clonal propagation, in vitro selection, genetic transformation and synthetic seed production. Somatic embryogenesis is the direct way to regenerate plant from single somatic cell and opens up possibility to understand process of cell cycle reprogramming from somatic to embryogenic type, cloning and characterization of genes involved in wounding, hormone activation, cell division, differentiation and developmental processes. Other important use of somatic embryogenesis is that it is often explored for in vitro regeneration in creation of transgenic plants. Gene transfer into embryogenic cell become challenge for conventional plant breeding and crop improvement because of the single cell origin of obtained transgenic plants. Somatic embryogenesis can probably be achieved for all plant species provided that the appropriate explant, culture media and environmental condition are employed. In most cases somatic embryos or embryogenic culture can be cryopreserved which makes it possible to establish gene bank. The above study standardized a reproducible protocol for induction of somatic embryo by using immature leaflet of in vitro germinated seeds of black gram. Embryogenic calluses were induced on leaf segments on solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with (0.5-72.5 μM) 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Differentiation of somatic embryos occurred when the embryogenic calluses were transferred to fresh MS medium containing 2,4-D. Maximum frequency (86.6%) of somatic embryos was observed on MS medium supplemented with (6.0 μM ) 2,4-D. Different stages embryos were transferred to solid MS medium without growth regulators for maturation and germination. About 5% of the embryos germinated into plants, which grew further on solid MS medium. The plants were hardened and established in soil.

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