FERTILE PLANT-REGENERATION FROM PROTOPLASTS OF A SEED-PROPAGATED CULTIVAR OF LILIUM X FORMOLONGI BY UTILIZING MERISTEMATIC NODULAR CELL CLUMPS

Plant regeneration from protoplasts of Lilium x formolongi cv. Azusa was achieved by utilizing suspension cultures of meristematic nodular cell clumps with a high plant regeneration ability. Creamy-white calli with embryogenic potential were initially induced from the seeds on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 4.1 mu M picloram. The calli were then transferred into a liquid medium of the same composition, in which they turned into compact cell clumps which consisted of meristematic nodules. Protoplasts were readily isolated from these meristematic nodular cell clumps. Colonies were successfully formed from the protoplasts by embedding in 0.1% gellan gum-solidified MS medium containing 4.1 mu M picloram and 0.5 M glucose. They regenerated shoots and roots on MS medium containing 2.2 mu M benzylaminopurine (BAP). The plants thus obtained produced flowers with normal fertile pollen 8 months after successful transfer into soil. These plants had normal chromosome numbers (2n = 24) but had shorter leaves than original plants. They set seeds after self as well as cross pollination.