Protoplast Cultures

Abstract

With suitable enzymes the cell wall of plant cells can be removed through hydrolysis of its macromolecular building material, i.e., “naked” cells called protoplasts are derived. In an isotonic medium, these protoplasts are healthy and can survive. Protoplasts are used to investigate a broad range of physiological problems reaching from the significance of the cell wall for nutrient uptake to mechanisms related to the synthesis of the cell wall. In an early investigation Bush and Jacobson (1986) show for protoplasts the same kinetics, time course and pH response, e.g., of potassium uptake as the intact cells of a suspension. Besides such basic problems since the 1960s in many instances protoplasts were used to solve problems of practical plant breeding.