Table of contents | |
Introduction | |
Aspects of Somatic Hybridization | |
Applications of Somatic Hybridization | |
Advantages of Somatic Hybridization | |
Disadvantages of Somatic Hybridization |
Somatic hybridization is an innovative method that enables the fusion of two distinct plants, resulting in a new hybrid plant that inherits characteristics from both parent plants.
Traditionally, sexual hybridization was employed to create hybrid plants. However, this approach had limitations. It only allowed closely related species to be hybridized, and there were compatibility issues. Somatic hybridization overcomes these limitations. It involves the in vitro fusion of protoplasts to generate a hybrid cell, which is then cultured to develop into a hybrid plant.
Somatic hybridization comprises three key components: the fusion of protoplasts, the selection of hybrid cells, and the identification of hybrid plants.
We will delve into each of these aspects in detail:
Protoplasts, which lack a cell wall, facilitate easy fusion without encountering compatibility issues when merging two genomes.
This fusion can be accomplished using three methods:
Not all protoplasts fuse; typically, only 20-25% form heterokaryons, resulting in a mixture of homokaryons, heterokaryons, and unfused protoplasts.
Three selection methods are employed:
After developing from hybrid cells, molecular evidence is needed for the identification of hybrid plants.
Several common approaches include:
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