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Miconazole: An effective antifungal agent for plant tissue culture

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Abstract

Miconazole at concentrations between 5 and 20 mgl-1 inhibited hyphal growth and sporulation in a wide range of fungi commonly associated with plants. These fungi included 4 Oomycetes, 11 Deuteromycetes, 4 Ascomycetes and 4 common airborne contaminants of plant tissue culture. The phytotoxicity of 20 mgl-1 miconazole was also tested against a wide range of in vitro plant cultures. Shoot cultures from 15 species showed either no response or a slight growth reduction in the presence of miconazole. Although the growth of shoot cultures in 2 other species was significantly reduced by miconazole, a positive growth rate was maintained. Callus and hairy root cultures from 5 species were more sensitive to miconazole than shoot cultures, although they also retained a positive growth rate in the presence of the antifungal agent. Reconstruction experiments demonstrated the effectiveness miconazole had for the rescue of plant material from in vitro cultures contaminated from fungi.

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Abbreviations

2,4-D :

2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

BA:

6-benzylaminopurine

EBI:

ergosterol biosynthetic inhibitor

IAA:

indole-3-acetic acid

MZ:

miconazole

NAA:

α-naphthaleneacetic acid

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. New Zealand Institute for Crop and Food Research Ltd, Private Bag, 4704, Christchurch, New Zealand

    J. L. Tynan & A. J. Conner

  2. Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

    R. C. Macknight & R. T. M. Poulter

Authors
  1. J. L. Tynan
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  2. A. J. Conner
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  3. R. C. Macknight
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  4. R. T. M. Poulter
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Tynan, J.L., Conner, A.J., Macknight, R.C. et al. Miconazole: An effective antifungal agent for plant tissue culture. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 32, 293–301 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00042292

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00042292

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