Selection of High-Yielding Cell Lines of Tagetes Using Flow Cytometry

Abstract

Selection of high-producing cell lines is an important strategy in developing methods for the industrial production of useful secondary metabolites by cultured plant cells (1,2). Between and within cell lines considerable differences exist in production levels of secondary metabolites. These differences can be attributed either to phenotypical variation or to somaclonal variation. Phenotypical variation — e.g. due to cellular differentiation, extended exposure to various plant growth hormones or variations in environment — is reversible and will not result in a stable high-producing cell line. It is more likely that somaclonal variation will be a source of stable high-producing variants or mutants, especially when additional mutagenic treatments are imposed.