Approaches to Cereal Protoplast Culture: Analysis of Ustilago Maydis Induced Cell Divisions in Zea Mays

Abstract

Ustilago maydis is an obligate biotrophic pathogen of maize causing the disease known as Corn Smut, the most characteristic feature of which is the formation of galls composed of proliferating, undifferentiated parenchymatous host cells. This ability of Ustilago to over-ride the normal controlling factors for cell di-vision in Zea is of central importance to our project. Gall formation is fundamentally a problem of autonomous cell proliferation, and the understanding of this problem is dependant on a precise characterisation of the factors and cellular mechanisms that are concerned with the regulation of growth. If it is possible to determine how the normal regulation of cellular divisions is overturned by Ustilago maydis, then it is feasible to propose that by subjecting Zea mays protoplasts to the factors or conditions yb which cell division is induced in the whole plant, a corresponding division may occur in isolated protoplasts.