SOMACLONAL VARIATION INDUCED DE NOVO LEAF CHIMERIC MUTANTS DURING IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF AFRICAN VIOLET (SAINTPAULIA IONANTHA WENDL.)

K. Shaijee, A. Tehranifar, R. Naderi, A. Khalighi
This experiment revealed the genetic potential of African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha Wendl.) to create and improve new traits by somaclonal variation technique. African violet is a beautiful household plant with attractive blooms and leaves in colors and shapes. However there are not many leaf chimera varieties that have been registered and/or patented in the world. In this study, three genotypes with non-variegated foliages were selected for in vitro cultural practices. Leaf explants prepared from all genotypes and cultured on modified MS basal medium (BM) supplemented with high levels of cytokinin (BA) and auxin (NAA) to promote mass proliferation of callus for subsequent subcultural experiments. Treatments were performed various times of callus phase during six months after culture, so that calluses re-subcultured into same medium every two months. At the end of each subculture period (or callus phase), half of leaf-derived calluses obtained from each genotype were excised and cultured on shoot induction medium (SIM) for shoot regeneration and remained ones were used to continue the subculture processes. In this way, new shoots produced on shoot induction medium (SIM) after pass of 2, 4 and 6 months of callus phase at different treatments. Different frequencies of variation were obtained from various treatments through sorting-out of variegated variants that observed among plantlets originated from leaf-derived calluses of all subculture periods. The times of callus phase influenced the rates of mutation frequency in two applied genotypes, so that increased times of callus phase led to higher rates. It presumed that times of callus phase couldn’t be most effective factor for enhance the rate of mutation frequency in some of African violet genotypes. But in some cases, this frequency is high enough to justify use of the technique to produce intentionally new African violet cultivars. In these experiments, various types of leaf chimeras and variegated foliage patterns such as one beauty semi-miniature leaf periclinal chimera as a stable de novo variant were obtained. This experiment revealed that somaclonal variation technique can be used to create de novo leaf chimera varieties of African violet. Also this experiment showed somaclonal variation may be used for synthesis of other chimera plants as a simple and reliable technique.
Shaijee, K., Tehranifar, A., Naderi, R. and Khalighi, A. (2006). SOMACLONAL VARIATION INDUCED DE NOVO LEAF CHIMERIC MUTANTS DURING IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF AFRICAN VIOLET (SAINTPAULIA IONANTHA WENDL.). Acta Hortic. 725, 337-340
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2006.725.42
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2006.725.42
Saintpaulia, somaclonal variation, callus, subculture, in vitro, de novo, chimera and variegate
English

Acta Horticulturae