Plant Tissue Cult. 2(2) : 61-69, 1992

Development of Heat Tolerant Somatic Hybrids by PEG-mediated Protoplasts Fusion between Brassica oleracea L.and B. campestris L.

M.M. Hossain and T. Asahira¹

Department of Horticulture, Institute of Postgraduate Studies in Agriculture, P.O. IPSA, Gazipur- 1703, Bangladesh

Key words: Heat tolerant, Somatic hybrid, Protoplast fusion, Brassica

Abastract

A good number of heat tolerant somatic hybrids have been developed through protoplast fusion by polyethylene glycol (PEG) between cabbage cv. Yoshin (Brassica oleracea L.var. capitata ) and Chinese cabbage cv. Kenshin (B. campestris L. var. pekinesinsis). The plant morphology of the somatic hybrids was intermediate between the parents. The somatic hybrids formed head and produced seeds under tropical conditions.

Thirty per cent (w / v) PEG of higher molecular weight (6000 MW) induced 23.8% protoplasts fusion compared to 16.17% induced by PEG of lower molecular weight (1540 MW) with high pH and high calcium solution. The hybrid nature of the somatic hybrids has been confirmed through both cytological study and isozyme marker.

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