Summary
Exposure of mature cotyledonary somatic embryos of Picea abies to low temperature (4°C) resulted in the accumulation of raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs)—raffinose and stachyose. The RFO content represented approximately 20% of the total soluble saccharides with the RFO: sucrose ratio being almost 1∶3 (molar basis) after 3 wk of cold exposure. This treatment, like desiccation, brings the endogenous saccharide spectrum nearer to that of mature zygotic embryos of the same species (zygotic embryos, RFO: sucrose ratio 1∶1.5 on a molar basis). Based on indications that RFOs are at least partly responsible for the positive effects of desiccation, we propose cold treatment as an alternative to slow desiccation for conifer somatic embryogenesis protocols.
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Konrádová, H., Gricová, M. & Lipavská, H. Cold-induced accumulation of raffinose family oligosaccharides in somatic embryos of Norway spruce (Picea abies). In Vitro Cell.Dev.Biol.-Plant 39, 425–427 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1079/IVP2003426
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1079/IVP2003426