Poster: Integrated Plant Biology

Abs # 78: Stress treatment as a trigger for microspore embryogenesis in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Presenter:	Zheng, Ming Y., mzheng@gordon.edu
Authors	Zheng, Ming Y. (A)
Affiliations:	(A): Gordon College

A highly efficient system for inducing microspore embryogenesis was established in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using stress treatment to tillers. 20 – 50% of microspores in anthers were converted from gametophytic into sporophytic development, triggered by a 48-72 hr starvation treatment at 33 ºC. Induced embryogenic microspores, characterized by unique morphological features, undergo organized cell divisions and differentiation that lead to a direct formation of embryoids. Embryoids "germinate" to give rise to haploid or doubled haploid plants. With an adequate culture conditions, embryogenic microspores isolated from a single spike can produce up to 5,000 green plants. In principle, starvation at elevated temperature may act to release cell cycle control that ensures mature pollen production hence overcome a developmental block to embryogenesis. The efficiency and simplicity of this system should prove useful in plant genomics, crop improvement and many areas of basic research in plant developmental biology.