RAPIDLY GROWING CELL-SUSPENSION CULTURE AND PROTOPLASTS OF TIMOPHEEVI WHEAT

In order to obtain rapidly growing suspension culture of Triticum timopheevii Zhuk. possessing high proliferative activity, we studied influence exerted on its growth by nutrient medium composition, length of the subcultivation period, inoculate volume, and presence of amino acids in the culture medium. The greatest increase in the number of cells (32-fold) was observed on Shank and Hildebrandt's medium under conditions of a 3-week cultivation cycle and seeding density of 10(5) cells per 1 ml. The maximum mitotic index in the exponential phase of growth attained 15%. Cultivation in a medium containing amino acids did not lead to any significant change of the indicated parameters, but promoted accumulation of biomass. Protoplasts isolated from suspension culture were viable and formed microcolonies in both liquid and agarose media. Cell suspension culture was renewed from protoplast colonies after a month of cultivation.