Abstract
Spontaneous variation in plants recovered from tissue culture has been documented for many species (1). This variation, recently termed “somaclonal variation” (1), has been seen in many types of culture systems, including ones involving protoplasts, long-term callus cultures, and fresh explants. The occurrence of somaclonal variation has both positive and negative aspects. For those concerned with in vitro propagation, it is undesirable; progeny not true-to-type are usually of little value. Spontaneous changes may also be a problem in attempts to transform plant cells; a high frequency of change not related to the experimental manipulations can complicate interpretation of results and can yield material with alterations other than the desired specific gene transfer. Although variability among cultured plant cells may reduce or obviate the need for mutagenesis prior to in vitro selection, it can again result in variants other than those being specifically selected.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Larkin, P.J., and W.R. Scowcroft (1981) Somaclonal variation-A novel source of variability from cell cultures for plant improvement. Theor. Appl. Genet. 60:197–214.
Larkin, P.J., S.A. Ryan, R.I.S. Brettell, and W.R. Scowcroft (1984) Heritable somaclonal variation in wheat. Theor. Appl. Genet. 67:443–455.
Evans, D.A., and W.R. Sharp (1983) Single gene mutations in tomato plants regenerated from tissue culture. Science 221:949–951.
Brettell, R.I.S., R. Thomas, and D.S. Ingram (1980) Reversion of Texas male-sterile cytoplasm maize in culture to give fertile T-toxin resistant plants. Theor. Appl. Genet. 58:55–58.
Edallo, S., C. Zucchinali, M. Perenzin, and F. Salamini (1981) Chromosomal variation and frequency of spontaneous mutation associated with in vitro culture and plant regeneration in maize. Maydica 26:39–56.
Rice, T.B. (1982) Tissue culture induced genetic variation in regenerated maize inbreds. Proc. Annual Corn and Sorghum Research Conf. 37:148–162.
McCoy, T.J., and R.L. Phillips (1982) Chromosomal instability in maize (Zea mays L.) tissue cultures and sectoring in some regenerated plants. Can. J. Genet. Cytol. 24:559–565.
Duvick, D.N. (1965) Cytoplasmic pollen sterility in corn. Adv. Genet. 13:1–56.
Laughnan, J.R., S. Gabay-Laughnan, and J.E. Carlson (1983) Cytoplasmic male sterility in maize. Ann Rev. Genet. 17:27–48.
Ullstrup, A.J. (1972) The impacts of the southern corn leaf blight epidemic of 1970–71. Ann. Rev. Phytopath. 10:37–50.
Pring, D.R., and C.S. Levings, III (1978) Heterogeneity of maize cytoplasmic genomes among male-sterile cytoplasms. Genetics 89:121–136.
Leaver, C.J., and M.W. Gray (1982) Mitochondrial genome organization and expression in higher plants. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 33:373–402.
Pring, D.R., C.S. Levings, III, W.W.L. Hu, and D.H. Timothy (1977) Unique DNA associated with mitochondria in “S”-type cytoplasm of male-sterile maize. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., USA 74:2904–2908.
Laughnan, J.R., and S.J. Gabay (1978) Nuclear and cytoplasmic mutations to fertility in S male-sterile maize. In Maize Breeding and Genetics, D.B. Waiden, ed. John Wiley, New York, pp. 427–447.
Levings, III, C.S., B.D. Kim, D.R. Pring, M.F. Conde, R.J. Mans, J.R. Laughnan, and S.J. Gabay-Laughnan (1980) Cytoplasmic reversion of CMS-S in maize: Association with a transpositional event. Science 209:1021–1023.
Schardl, C.L., D.M. Lonsdale, D.R. Pring, and K.R. Rose (1984) Linearization of maize mitochondrial chromosomes by recombination with linear episomes. Nature 30:291–296.
Chourey, P.S., and R.J. Kemble (1982) Transposition event in tissue cultured cells of maize. In Plant Tissue Culture 1982, A. Fujiwara, ed. Japanese Association for Plant Tissue Culture, Tokyo, pp. 425–426.
Umbeck, P.F., and B.G. Gengenbach (1983) Reversion of male-sterile T-cytoplasm maize to male fertility in tissue culture. Crop Sci. 23:584–588.
Gracen, V.E., M.L. Forster, K.D. Sayre, and C.O. Grogan (1971) Rapid method for selecting resistant plants for control of southern corn leaf blight. Plant Dis. Rep. 55:469–470.
Gracen, V.E. (1982) Types and availability of male-sterile cytoplasms. In Maize for Biological Research, W.F. Sheridan, ed. University Press, Grand Forks, North Dakota, pp. 221–224.
Marx, J.L. (1984) Instability in plants and the ghost of Lamarck. Science 224:1415–1416.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1985 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Earle, E.D., Gracen, V.E. (1985). Somaclonal Variation in Progeny of Plants from Corn Tissue Cultures. In: Henke, R.R., Hughes, K.W., Constantin, M.J., Hollaender, A., Wilson, C.M. (eds) Tissue Culture in Forestry and Agriculture. Basic Life Sciences, vol 32. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0378-5_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0378-5_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-0380-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-0378-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive