Stimulation of Shoot Regeneration from Cotyledon Segments of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

Abstract

Cotyledon segments of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) were cultured on the Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 0.1 mg•liter^-1 IAA, 1.0 mg•liter^-1 zeatin, and 3% sucrose, and agar, agarose or gellan gum as a gelling agent and supported on a polyester material. Many adventitious buds were induced and the induced adventitious shoots grew normally on all the agars and gellan gum. Normal adventitious shoots were rarely obtained using agarose and polyester support.
Shoot regeneration was stimulated by a water extract from agar when explants were cultured on the polyester support. Ethanol soluble and insoluble fractions of agar extract stimulated shoot regeneration; the former was less effective than the latter.
These results indicate that the extractable, highly hydrophilic substances in agar are probably one of the factors that make them suitable for the regeneration of tomato plants.