Haploid Plants
ANTHER CULTURE
Anther is treated as male sex organ.
Anther cultures are maintained at altertnative
periods of light.
Age of anther affect the growth of cultures.
Intraspecific genotypes are treated as better
explants.
Higher sucrose concentration is more responsive
in anther culture.
Higher densities of explants stimulated more
embryogenesis.
HAPLOID PLANTS: TERMINOLOGY AND
BACKGROUND
Haploid - gametic number of chromosomes, n which may not
be equivalent to x
Monoploid - haploid derived from a diploid, x is one genomic
complement
Poly haploid - haploid from a polyploidy (nx), prefix
indicates genome complement number, e.g. tobacco is a di-
haploid
Agricultural applications for haploids - Rapid generation of
homozygous genotypes after chromosome doubling
Reduce time for variety development, e.g. 10 to 6 years or less
Homozygous recombinant line can be developed in one
generation instead of after numerous backcross generations
Selection for recessive traits in recombinant lines is more
efficient since these are not masked by the effects of dominant
alleles
PROCESSES LEADING TO PRODUCTION OF
HAPLOID PLANTS
Androgenesis – haploid plant derived from male gamete, most
common method in vitro
Parthenogenesis - from unfertilized egg
Apogamy - from other cells of the mega-gametophyte,
example
Chromosome elimination - chromosome elimination in somatic
cells, most common method used with plant breeding
Androgenesis – haploid plant derived from male gamete,
most common method in vitro
Parthenogenesis - from unfertilized egg
Apogamy - from other cells of the mega-gametophyte
Chromosome elimination - chromosome elimination in
somatic cells, most common method used with plant breeding
MICROSPORE CULTURE
Haploid plants are derived from microspores (pollen) cultured
individually or in anthers
History:
Tulecke (1953) - haploid callus (but no plants) derived Ginkgo
biloba
Guha and Maheshwari (1964) - haploid plants derived from
cultured Datura anthers
Nitsch, C (1974) - haploid plants derived from cultured
tobacco microspores
Background – micro-sporogenesis and micro-gametogenesis
leading to pollen development.
MICROSPOROGENESIS/
MICROGAMETOGENESIS LEADING TO
HAPLOID EMBRYO FORMATION
Haploid embryo formation based on continued
divisions of the vegetative or generative cells -
embryos are derived from continued proliferation of
either of these cells rather than pollen formation
Haploid embryo formation based on symmetric division of
the microspore - rather than asymmetric division that leads to
pollen formation, most common path to haploidy.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE DEVELOPMENT
OF HAPLOID PLANTS
Anther stage - most responsive cells for haploid embryo
formation are those between the tetrad stage of
microsporogenesis to just past the first pollen mitosis.
Donor plant or anther pretreatment – enhances haploid
embryo formation. Actively growing plants and the first
set of flowers are most responsive. Cold pretreatment of
anthers - either pre- or post-culture treatment (3 to 5 oC for
2 to 4 days), symmetric rather than asymmetric division of
the microspore nuclei or division of the vegetative
nucleus.
IMPORTANCE OF ANTHER CULTURE
Potential in plant breeding.
Detection of mutations.
Spontaneously through apomixis or parthenogenesis
Anther cultures : immature pollen → culture on growth
medium→ callus →regenerated plant →acclimatized
→transfer in soil.
