full issue - Association of Biotechnology and Pharmacy

Current Trends in Biotechnology and PharmacyVol. 5 (1) 1004-1010 January 2011. ISSN 0973-8916 (Print), 2230-7303 (Online)Effect of Growth regulators, Sucrose and Glutamine on ShootRegeneration from Node Derived Callus Cultures of Rubberyielding species - Parthenium argentatumA. Maruthi Rao 1 , I. Sampath Kumar 1 , P. Sri Laxmi 2 , P. Maheshwari Rao 2 , P. HimaKumari 2 , S. Anil Kumar 2 D. Madhavi 2 , E. Venu Madhav 3 and P. B. Kavi Kishor 2*1Plant Biotechnology Research Lab, Department of Botany, Telangana University, Nizamabad 503 322, India2Department of Genetics, Osmania University, Hyderabad 500 007, India3Department of Biotechnology, Achayra Nagarjuna University, Nagarjuna Nagar, - 522 510, India*For correspondence - pbkavi@yahoo.com1004AbstractThe nodal explants of guayule(Parthenium argentatum Gray) when culturedon Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium fortifiedwith different concentrations of kinetin (KN), 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 2,4-D + BAP,napthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and NAA + BAPproduced callus tissues and few shoots. Thepercent frequency of callus was around 90% with0.5 mg/l BAP and NAA. The high frequencyshoot regeneration from the node derived callusof guayule was observed when MS medium wassupplemented with BAP, NAA + BAP withvarying concentrations of sucrose. Sucrose at 3-4% levels increased the number of shoots formed(12-15) per 250 mg of callus. Glutamine at 200mg/l level further enhanced the number of shootsformed (22-25) per callus mass. The percentfrequency of shoot regeneration from callustissues was high (88%) when the medium wasfortified with 0.1 mg/l NAA + 2.5 mg/l BAP, 200mg/l glutamine and 2% sucrose. The ability ofthe callus tissues of guayule remained more orless same for shoot regeneration over a period of200 days; but decreased thereafter. Shoots rootedwith 15 to 75% frequency and the whole plantswhen transferred to pots survived with 60%frequency.Key words : Callus cultures, plant regeneration,guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray).IntroductionParthenium argentatum Gray belongs tothe family Asteraceae and is a highly branchedperennial shrub, which at maturity ranges from0.3 to 1.0 m in height and 0.6 to 1.2 m in width (1,2, 3, 4). It is a native of the Chihuahuan desertwith a natural history of exposure to water stress(5). Plants in the field may be established fromnursery grown seedlings and cuttings (6). Rubberis a macromolecular polyisoprenoid found in over2000 species (7, 8, 9). In recent years, guayulewhich accumulates rubber within the ordinarystem bark parenchyma cells and contains highmolecular mass rubbers comparable to H.brasiliensis has attracted research interest asan additional source of rubber (10, 11, 12). Themajor limitations for the commercial productionof guayule rubber are its low rubber yields andinconsistent field establishment by directseedlings. This is because of susceptibility ofseedlings to water and salinity stresses (13, 14,15). The decrease in rubber yield in water –stressed plants is attributed to reduced biomassproduction (13, 16). Therefore, there is a needeither to create variation in guayule or generatetransgenics which can resist water and saltRegeneration in Parthenium argentatum