Topolins: A panacea to plant tissue culture challenges?

Since the discovery of topolins as naturally occurring aromatic cytokinins (CKs), they have emerged as genuine alternatives to the long serving CKs such as benzyladenine, zeatin and kinetin in plant tissue culture (PTC). Globally, the past 15 years has witnessed a surge in the use of topolins and their derivatives in research laboratories. Topolins, especially the meta-topolin and its derivatives have been employed for culture initiation, protocol optimization and for counteracting various in vitro induced physiological disorders in many species. Evidence from various studies indicate the rising popularity and advantages (although not universal for all species) of topolins compared to other CKs. In this review, we assess the use of topolins in PTC with emphasis on their metabolism, structure–activity relations and effect on morphogenesis in vitro. In addition, the review provides a detailed list of species that have been used to study the effect of topolins in comparison with other CKs, the growth parameters affected and recommended concentrations are also provided.