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A tissue culture laboratory exercise illustrating regeneration of whole plants from leaf segments of Chrysanthemum by organogenesis will be described. Using simple, common media, shoots can be generated in five weeks and rooted after an additional three weeks. Acclimatization of plants can be accomplished in a simple mistbed in the greenhouse. The exercise is adaptable to depict genotype differences among cultivars, optimization of shoot induction, effects of growth regulators, and experimental design. Callus is typically not formed during shoot formation; however, co-cultivation of leaf segments with a virulent strain of Agrobacterium tumefaciens produces callus autotrophic for growth regulators. Co-cultivation with a strain of disarmed A. tumefaciens harboring a NPTII construct affects regeneration of plants resistant to kanamycin.
A tissue culture laboratory exercise illustrating regeneration of whole plants from leaf segments of chrysanthemum by organogenesis is described. Using simple, common media, shoots can be generated in 5 weeks and rooted after an additional 3 weeks. Acclimatization of plants can be accomplished in a simple mistbed in the greenhouse. The exercise is adaptable to depict genotype differences among cultivars, optimization of shoot induction, effects of growth regulators, and experimental design. Callus is typically not formed during shoot formation; however, co-cultivation of leaf segments with a virulent strain of Agrobacterium tumefaciens produces callus with a strain of disarmed A. tumefaciens harboring NPTII construct affects regeneration of plants resistant to kanamycin.
Somatic embryogenesis from leaf midrib explants of Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev. `Iridon' cultured on modified Murashige and Skoog basal medium (MSB) containing 1.0 mg 2,4-D and 0.2 mg BA/liter was influenced by light and sucrose concentration. Somatic embryos formed directly from explants when cultured on medium containing 9% to 18% sucrose and incubated first in the dark for 28 days, followed by 10 days in light, and then returned to the dark for 14 days. Embryogenesis did not occur in continuous darkness and was drastically reduced when explants were incubated in light only. The most embryos were formed on medium containing either 12% or 15% sucrose; lower concentrations stimulated shoot and root development. Light also mediated embryogenesis from leaf explants of 'other cultivars. White-opaque or occasionally light-green cotyledon-stage somatic embryos germinated on MSB medium without growth regulators but containing 3% sucrose. Twelve of the 23 cultivars evaluated produced somatic embryos, but plants were recovered from only five. Regenerated plants were phenotypically similar to parent plants in growth habit, leaf morphology, and flower color. Chemical names used: N- (phenylmethyl)-1 H- purine-6-amine (BA); (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) acetic acid (2,4-D).
Georgia plume, Elliottia racemosa (Ericaceae), is a small tree endemic only to the state of Georgia, where it is listed as a threatened species. Information about genetic relatedness is critical for establishing approaches for safeguarding, reintroduction, and conservation of this rare species. The genetic relationships among and within selected georgia plume populations were evaluated using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) in conjunction with site visits at which time a census and GPS survey were conducted. Populations ranged from those containing eight to over 1000 individuals with most populations containing few plants (less than 50 individuals). With one exception, small populations with less than 50 individuals had more genetic similarity than populations with greater numbers of plants. Two protected populations containing large numbers of individuals were sampled extensively. Genetic similarity of individuals was not associated with plant proximity within a population. The small number of individuals and geographic isolation characteristic of many populations were associated with high within-population genetic similarity. Conservation priorities should be given to preserving as many different populations as possible to retain the genetic diversity of the species. Whether the narrow genetic variation found in some populations may be contributing to lack of sexual reproduction in the wild is an area for further study.
There are 11 recognized Cercis L. species, but identification is problematic using morphological characters, which are largely quantitative and continuous. Previous studies have combined morphological and molecular data to resolve taxonomic questions about geographic distribution of Cercis species, identifying botanical varieties, and associations between morphological variation and the environment. Three species have been used in ornamental plant breeding in the United States, including three botanical varieties of C. canadensis L. from North America and two Asian species, C. chingii Chun and C. chinensis Bunge. In this article, 51 taxa were sampled comprising eight species of Cercis and a closely related species, Bauhinia faberi Oliv. Sixty-eight polymorphic simple sequence repeat markers were used to assess genetic relationships between species and cultivars. For all samples the number of alleles detected ranged from two to 20 and 10 or more alleles were detected at 22 loci. Average polymorphic information content was 0.57 and values ranged from 0.06 to 0.91 with 44 loci 0.50 or greater. Cross-species transfer within Cercis was extremely high with 55 loci that amplified at 100%. Results support previously reported phylogenetic relationships of the North American and western Eurasian species and indicate suitability of these markers for mapping studies involving C. canadensis and C. chinensis. Results also support known pedigrees from ornamental tree breeding programs for the widely cultivated C. canadensis and C. chinensis species, which comprised the majority of the samples analyzed.
One of the most frequently used tools in plant biotechnology, which includes genomics and proteomics, is gel electrophoresis. Our experience with middle and high school students as well as teachers and undergraduate students is that they have very little, if any, hands-on experience with this technique. These exercises were developed to demonstrate the principles of electrophoresis and DNA fingerprinting in middle and high school and university laboratories with minimal expense and equipment. The experiments have been tested by middle and high school students, as well as by teachers, and undergraduate and graduate students. The first exercise, electrophoresis of common food dyes, is primarily designed for secondary and undergraduate students, but can be used as an inexpensive means for introducing the main concepts of electrophoresis to anyone who has little or no experience, including graduate students. Popular brands of food dyes (red, blue, yellow, and green) purchased at local markets are mixed into a 60% glycerol/water solution and are separated on 1% agarose gels using 100 V for 35 min. Mixed colors are separated into primary colors (e.g., green into blue and yellow) and some apparently single dyes often have extra “surprise” components. A simple exercise illustrating forensic use of gel electrophoresis with dyes is also included. Over 100 students and teachers have completed this experiment successfully. The second laboratory exercise requires more extensive equipment and a more advanced set of skills; however, the exercise has been completed successfully by middle school-level through graduate-level students and by teachers. In this exercise, the internally transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal subunit for a fungus, plant, and insect are amplified and separated electrophoretically on agarose gels. A simple crime is solved using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA fingerprinting. The experiment protocol provides students with hands-on activities that include assembling master mixes for PCR, practice using pipettes, and performing the various steps involved in PCR amplification. Instructions for both exercises are formatted in easy-to-follow procedure boxes, and a downloadable presentation is available on the web. The cost of the expendables is about $1 per student, making these exercises relatively inexpensive to conduct, assuming that hardware and DNA are available.
Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) and kousa dogwood (C. kousa) are popular ornamental species commonly used in the horticultural industry. Both trees are valued for their beautiful floral display and four-season appeal. Species-specific simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were used to genotype and assess genetic diversity of 24 flowering dogwood cultivars and breeding lines and 22 kousa dogwood cultivars. Genetic diversity was determined by allele sharing distances and principal coordinate analysis and was high in both species. Molecular identification keys were developed for cultivars and breeding lines of each species using a few polymorphic SSRs loci (four in C. florida and five in C. kousa). Most (18 of 24) of the flowering dogwood and all (22 of 22) kousa dogwood accessions could be distinguished from each other using these SSRs; those that could not were resolved using DNA amplification fingerprinting. The reliability of both keys was assessed using five anonymous cultivars for each dogwood species, which were correctly identified using the molecular keys. The genetic information presented here will be useful for identification and verification of cultivars for nurseries and as molecular markers for breeders and researchers.
Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a perennial bunchgrass that is native to North American prairies and woodlands from southern Canada to northern Mexico. Originally used as a forage grass, little bluestem is now listed as a major U.S. native, ornamental grass. With the widespread planting of only a few cultivars, we aimed to assess the ploidy level and genetic diversity among some popular cultivars and accessions in the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Plant Germplasm System collection. Ten microsatellite markers, with successful amplification, were developed by using sequences available in Genbank and additional simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were generated by using ion torrent sequencing of a genomic library created from the cultivar The Blues. A total of 2812 primer sets was designed from high-throughput sequencing, 100 primer pairs were selected, and 82 of these primers successfully amplified DNA from the Schizachyrium accessions. Only 35 primer pairs, generating 102 scored fragments, were polymorphic among S. scoparium accessions. Twenty-two primer pairs generated more than four fragments per accession. The use of a repetitive sequence identifier found that of 117 examined sequences, only nine sequences did not have similarity to DNA transposons, retrotransposons, viruses, or satellite sequences. The most frequently identified fragments were the long terminal repeat retrotransposons Gypsy (177 fragments) and Copia (98 fragments) and the DNA transposon EnSpm (60 fragments). Using the software program Structure, cluster analysis of the SSR data for S. scoparium revealed four groups. The lowest genetic similarity between little bluestem samples was 86%, which was surprising as a high degree of morphological variation is seen in this species. Furthermore, no variation in ploidy level was seen among little bluestem samples. These microsatellite markers are the first sequence-specific markers designed for little bluestem and can serve as a resource for future genetic studies.