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Developmental profile of storage reserve accumulation in soybean somatic embryos

  • Embryo Culture
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Abstract

Soybean somatic embryos were developed as a model for investigating the developmental relationships of lipid biosynthesis and accumulation in this important crop. Batch cultures of embryos grown for 8 wk in liquid culture medium exhibited typical sigmoidal growth kinetics as they passed through characteristic globular, heart, torpedo, and cotyledon stages. Exponential growth occurred for the first 4 wk in culture with net growth terminating when total embryo fresh weight per culture flask reached a maximum of 4–4.5 g at 6 wk. This was followed by a slight decrease in embryo fresh weight (FW) and the onset of apparent tissue senescence as judged by yellowing and browning of embryos. On a FW basis, embryos accumulated up to 4% protein, 2.5% soluble sugars, 1.9% starch, and 1.5% lipid relatively early in development. Levels decreased to 0.8% protein, 0.5% soluble sugars, 0.03% starch, and 0.09% lipid at the end of the culture period. On a mass percent basis, lipid extracts were comprised of approximately 80–90% polar lipid early in embryo development. This shifted to 56% storage lipid (triacylglycerol) and 44% polar lipid after 4–5 wk in culture and then reverted back to 91% and 9% polar vs. storage lipid, respectively, by the end of the 8-wk culture period. On the average, polar and storage lipid fractions were comprised of 24% palmitic acid, 7% stearic acid, 8% oleic acid, 36% linoleic acid, and 26% linolenic acid. However, the amounts of linoleic and linolenic acids declined sharply during embryo senescence at the end of the culture period, with corresponding increases in the combined amounts of palmitic and stearic acids. This is the first report that documents the progress of storage reserve accumulation in soybean somatic embryos in relation to their continuous growth in liquid batch cultures.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the expert and generous technical assistance provided by Wayne Parrott and Donna Tucker in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at the University of Georgia in helping us implement their method for the in vitro growth of soybean somatic embryos. We are also grateful to Ian Stocks in the Department of Entomology, Soils and Plant Sciences at Clemson University for his initial help with the photomicrography equipment used in this investigation. This research was supported by Project no. 8233 provided to S. A. Sparace from the United Soybean Board.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biological Sciences Department, Clemson University, 132 Long Hall, Clemson, SC, 29634-0314, USA

    Yan He, Tammie E. Young, Karen Rebecca Clark, Kathryn F. Kleppinger-Sparace & Salvatore A. Sparace

  2. Department of Applied Economics and Statistics, Clemson University, 243 Barre Hall, Clemson, SC, 29634-0314, USA

    William C. Bridges

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  1. Yan He
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  2. Tammie E. Young
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  3. Karen Rebecca Clark
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  4. Kathryn F. Kleppinger-Sparace
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  5. William C. Bridges
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  6. Salvatore A. Sparace
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Correspondence to Salvatore A. Sparace.

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Editor: John Finer

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He, Y., Young, T.E., Clark, K.R. et al. Developmental profile of storage reserve accumulation in soybean somatic embryos. In Vitro Cell.Dev.Biol.-Plant 47, 725–733 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11627-011-9375-2

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