Enrichment for Nicotiana heterokaryons after protoplast fusion and subsequent growth in agarose microdrops

Abstract

Protoplasts isolated from Nicotiana tabacum L. leaves and Nicotiana suaveolens Lehm. cell suspensions have been fused with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Enrichment for heterokaryons was based on a Percoll flotation protocol which allowed a preparation with 50% heterokaryons to be obtained. The heterokaryons developed into calli whose hybrid nature was shown by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of esterase isoenzymes. Sensitivity of the mesophyll protoplasts to PEG and different buoyant densities of the heterokaryon and cell-suspension protoplasts contribute to the enrichment. The 50%-fusion figure following purification is an improvement on standard PEG procedures.

Heterokaryons obtained were embedded in 20μl drops of agarose and placed in a liquid nurse culture that allows optimum growth of the heterokaryons and maintains a physical boundary between the heterokaryons and the nurse culture. Once colonies develop, the agarose microdrop is removed from the nurse culture and placed on shoot-induction medium. Agarose microdrops containing the heterokaryons can be readily removed at any stage and processed for electron microscopy to follow the early stages of colony development.

The procedures we have utilised provide a robust physical selection method that allows the total variation from a heterokaryon population to be expressed.