Regeneration of Medicago truncatula from protoplasts isolated from kanamycin-sensitive and kanamycin-resistant plants

Abstract

Medicago truncatula (barrel medic) is an annual legume of agricultural and biological interest. In this report regeneration from isolated mesophyll protoplasts is described. A specifically developed, highly regenerable seed line is essential for regeneration. Other critical requirements for regeneration are the starting plant material, the use of agarose droplets incubated in a shallow layer of liquid medium, and protoplast density. Plants are grown in controlled environment conditions. Protoplasts are purified using a Percoll-based flotation procedure, then embedded in 100 μl agarose droplets containing a basal medium plus 25 μM NAA and 4 μM BAP (the same medium as in the surrounding shallow liquid layer) to induce protoplast division. A protoplast density of 6–8×10⁵ ml⁻¹ is required for maximum colony formation. M. truncatula plants previously transformed for kanamycin resistance yielded embryogenic callus and also regenerated plants. Protoplasts from other annual Medicago (M.intertexta and M.scutellata) species readily form calli by the procedure we have described.