Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Maturation of black spruce somatic embryos. Part I. Effect of l-glutamine on the number and germinability of somatic embryos

  • Published:
Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Different concentrations of l-glutamine and different nitrogen sources in the medium were compared during maturation of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) somatic embryos. l-glutamine can be used as the sole nitrogen source for the maturation of Picea mariana somatic embryos at 2 to 3 gl-1. A significantly lower number of somatic embryos was obtained on a medium prepared with only inorganic nitrogen. Compared with a medium supplement to inorganic nitrogen resulted in a twofold increase in the number of embryos for six genotypes. The nitrogen source and concentration in the maturation medium significantly affected the germination sensus stricto of somatic embryos (radicle appearance), but not their development into plantlets; at the time of epicotyl appearance, an effect of the nitrogen source was no longer found. A comparison of the development of somatic embryos into plantlets from seven genotypes showed that the genotype had more effect in terms of epicotyl appearance and in conversion rate than the nitrogen source present in the maturation medium.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

HLM-1:

half-Litvays's medium with 10 μM 2,4-D and 5 μM BA

i:

only inorganic nitrogen in the medium

i+1 gG:

inorganic nitrogen plus 1 g l-1 glutamine in the medium

SMM:

standard maturation medium

2.5gG:

only 2.5 g l-1 glutamine in the medium

References

  • Amerson H V, Frampton L J, McKeand J S E, Mott R L & Weir R J (1985) Loblolly pine tissue culture: laboratory, greenhouse, and field studies. In: Henke R, Hughes K, Constantin M & Hollaender A (Ed) Tissue Culture in Forestry and Agriculture (pp 271–287). Plenum Press, University of Tennessee, (Knoxville)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bewley J D & Black M (1985) Seeds: Physiology of Development and Germination. Plenum Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Caligo M A, Nuti Ronchi V & Nozzolini M (1985) Proline and serine affect polarity and development of carrot somatic embryos. Cell differentiation 17: 193–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell R A & Durzan D J (1975) Induction of multiple buds and needles in tissue cultures of Picea glauca. Can. J. Bot. 53: 1652–1657

    Google Scholar 

  • David H, Jarlet E & David A (1984) Effects of nitrogen source, calcium concentration and osmotic stress on protoplasts and protoplast-derived cell cultures of Pinus pinaster cotyledons. Physiol. Plant. 61: 477–482

    Google Scholar 

  • Durzan D J & Chalupa V (1976) Growth and metabolism of cells and tissue of jack pine Pinus banksiana. 4. Changes in amino acids in callus and in seedlings of similar genetic origin. Can. J. Bot. 54: 468–482

    Google Scholar 

  • Durzan D J & Gupta P K (1987) Somatic embryogenesis and polyembryogenesis in Douglas-fir cell suspension cultures. Plant Sci. 52: 229–235

    Google Scholar 

  • Finer J J, Kriebel H B & Becwar M R (1989) Initiation of embryogenic callus and suspension culturs of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.). Plant Cell Rep. 8: 203–206

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta P K & Durzan D J (1986) Somatic polyembryogenesis from callus of mature sugar pine embryos. Biotechnology 4: 643–645

    Google Scholar 

  • Hakman I & vonArnold S (1988) Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from suspension cultures of Picea glauca (white spruce). Physiol. Plant. 72: 579–587

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson A D & Hitz W D (1982) Metabolic responses of mesophytes to plant water deficits. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 33: 163–203

    Google Scholar 

  • Hosmer D W (1989) Applied Logistic Regression. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Kamada H & Harada H (1979) Studies on the organogenesis in carrot tissue cultures II. Effects of amino acids and inorganic nitrogenous compounds on somatic embryogenesis. Z. Pflanzenphysiol Bd. 91: 453–463

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirby E G (1982) The effects of organic nitrogen sources on growth of cell cultures of Douglas-fir. Physiol. Plant. 114–117

  • Kirby E G, Leustek T & Lee M S (1987) Nitrogen metabolism. In: Bonga J M & Durzan D J (Ed) Cell and Tissue Culture in Forestry, Vol 1 General Principles and Biotechnology (pp 67–88) Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht

    Google Scholar 

  • Leustek T & Kirby E G (1988) The influence of glutamine on growth and viability of cell suspension cultures of Douglas-fir after exposure to polyethylene glycol. Tree Physiol. 4: 371–380

    Google Scholar 

  • Litvay J D, Verma D C & Johnson M A (1985) Influence of lobiolly pine (Pinus taeda L) culture medium and its components on growth and somatic embryogenesis of the wild carrot (Daucus carota L). Plant Cell Rep. 4: 325–328

    Google Scholar 

  • Miflin B J & Lea P (1976) The pathway of nitrogen assimilation in plants. Phytochemistry 15: 873–885

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller R G J (1981) Simultaneous Statistical Inference. Springer-Verlag, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Nuti Ronchi V, Caligo M A, Nozzolini M & Luccarini G (1984) Stimulation of carrot somatic embryogenesis by proline and serine. Plant Cell Rep. 3: 210–214

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozturk S S & Palsson B O (1990) Chemical decomposition of glutamine in cell culture media: Effect of media type, pH, and serum concentration. Biotechnol. Prog. 6: 121–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Price H J & Smith R H (1979) Somatic embryogenesis in suspension cultures of Gossypium klotzschianum andress. Planta 145: 305–307

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts D R, Flinn B S, Webb D T, Webster F B & Sutton B C S (1990) Abscisic acid and indole-3-butyric acid regulation of maturation and accumulation of storage proteins in somatic embryos of interior spruce. Physiol. Plant. 78: 355–360

    Google Scholar 

  • Shetty K & Asano Y (1991) The influence of organic nitrogen sources on the induction of embryogenic callus in Agrostis alba L. J. Plant Physiol. 139: 82–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Skokut T A, Manchester J & Schaefer J (1985) Regeneration in alfalfa tissue culture: Stimulation of somatic embryo production by amino acids and N-15 NMR determination of nitrogen utilization. Plant Physiol. 79: 579–583

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokal R R & Rohlf F J (1981) Biometry: the principles and practice of statistics in biological research. Freeman, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  • Steel R G B & Torrie J H (1980) Principles and procedures of statistics: A biometrical approach. MacGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Stuart D A & Strickland S G (1984a) Somatic embryogenesis from cell cultures of Medicago sativa L. II. The interaction of amino acids with ammonium. Plant Sci. Letters 34: 174–181

    Google Scholar 

  • Stuart D A & Strickland S G (1984b) Somatic embryogenesis from cell cultures of Medicago sativa L. I. The role of amino acids additions to the regeneration medium. Plant Sci. Letters 34: 165–174

    Google Scholar 

  • Tautorus T E, Lulsdorf M M, Kikcio S I & Dunstan D I (1992) Bioreactor culture of Picea mariana Mill (black spruce) and the species complex Picea glauca engelmanii (interior spruce) somatic embryos. Growth parameters. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 38: 46–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson R G & vonAderkas P (1992) Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from immature embryos of western larch. Plant Cell Rep. 11: 379–385

    Google Scholar 

  • Tremblay F M (1990) Somatic embryogenesis and plantlet regeneration from embryos isolated from stored seeds of Picea glauca. Can. J. Bot. 68: 236–242

    Google Scholar 

  • Tremblay L & Tremblay F M (1991a) Carbohydrate requirements for the maturation of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) and red spruce (P. rubens Sarg.) somatic embryos. Plant Cell Tiss. Org. Cult. 27: 95–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Tremblay L & Tremblay F M (1991b) Effect of gelling agents, ammonium nitrate concentration, and light on the development of Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P. (black spruce) and P. rubens Sarg. (red spruce) somatic embryos. Plant Sci. 77: 233–242

    Google Scholar 

  • vonArnold S (1987) Improved efficiency of somatic embryogenesis in mature embryos of Picea abies (L.) Karst. J. Plant Physiol. 128: 233–244

    Google Scholar 

  • vonArnold S & Eriksson T (1981) In vitro studies of adventitious shoot formation in Pinus contorta. Can. J. Bot. 59: 870–874.

    Google Scholar 

  • Webster F B, Roberts D R, McInnis S M & Sutton B C S (1990) Propagation of interior spruce by somatic embryogenesis. Can. J. For. Res. 20: 1759–1765

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Recherche en Biologie Forestière, Faculté de Foresterie et de Géomatique, Université Laval, G1K 7P4, Québec, Canada

    Slaheddine Khlin

  2. Seconded from the Petawawa National Forestry Institute to Laval University, Canada

    Francine M. Tremblay

Authors
  1. Slaheddine Khlin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Francine M. Tremblay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Khlin, S., Tremblay, F.M. Maturation of black spruce somatic embryos. Part I. Effect of l-glutamine on the number and germinability of somatic embryos. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 41, 23–32 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00124083

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00124083

Key words

Search

Navigation