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ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA SERIES BOTANICA Vol. 51 suppl. 1 ABSTRACTS 12th National Conference ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ September 9–11, 2009 Poznań, Poland Polish Academy of Sciences – Cracow Branch Jagiellonian University Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences 2009 ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica The Official Publication of the Biological Commission of the Polish Academy of Sciences – Cracow Branch and the Jagiellonian University published jointly with the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences DEVOTED TO PLANT ANATOMY, MORPHOLOGY, CYTOLOGY, GENETICS, KARYOLOGY, EMBRYOLOGY, TISSUE CULTURE, PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOSYSTEMATICS ESTABLISHED 1958 © Polish Academy of Sciences and the Jagiellonian University, Cracow 2009 The edition of this supplement is financed by the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica is published twice a year by the Polish Academy of Sciences – Cracow Branch, ul. św. Jana 28, 31-018 Cracow, Poland and the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, ul. Gołębia 24, 31-007 Cracow, Poland Set and printed by KON Tekst Publishing House, Bobrzeckiej 9, 31-216 Cracow, Poland Managing editor: Monika Tuleja Technical editor: Wojciech Marcinek ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica on the Internet The home page of Acta Biologica Cracoviensia Series Botanica can be found at http://www.ib.uj.edu.pl/abc/abc.htm Indexed in Science Citation Index, Current Contents (Agriculture, Biology & Environmental Sciences), Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Data, Index Copernicus, Polish Scientific Journals Contents – AGRIC. & BIOL. SCI., AGRO-AGEN.. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica Editor ELŻBIETA KUTA Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Jagiellonian University, ul. Grodzka 52 31-044 Cracow, Poland, Tel./Fax: +48-12-422 81 07, e-mail: [email protected] Editorial Secretary MONIKA TULEJA Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Jagiellonian University, ul. Grodzka 52 31-044 Cracow, Poland, Tel./Fax: +48-12-422 81 07, e-mail: [email protected] Editorial Board HARVEY E BALLARD, JR. Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Porter Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701, USA, e-mail: [email protected] Molecular approaches in plant systematics, ecology and evolution TATYANA B. BATYGINA. Komarov Botanical Institute, Department of Embryology and Reproductive Biology, Prof. Popov St. 2, 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia, e-mail: [email protected] Plant embryology JÓZEF BEDNARA. Department of Plant Anatomy and Cytology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, ul. Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland, e-mail:[email protected] Plant embryology BORUT BOHANEC. Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, e-mail: [email protected] Plant biotechnology MAURO CRESTI. Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Sezione Botanica, Universita di Siena, Via P. A. Mattioli 4, I-53100 Siena, Italy, e-mail: [email protected] Sexual plant reproduction; pollen biology; pollen tube; pollen-stigmastyle-ovule interaction; cytoskeleton MARIA CHARZYŃSKA. Department of Plant Anatomy and Cytology, Warsaw University, ul. Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Cytoembryology of flowering plants; anther and pollen development (structural and molecular aspects) MARTA DOLEŻAL. Academy of Physical Education, Chair of Hygiene and Health Protection, Al. Jana Pawła II 78, 81-571 Cracow, Poland, Fax: +48-12-648 17 07 General and medical mycology; health promotion; medical microbiology FRANCISZEK DUBERT. Department of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Podłużna 3, 31-239 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Physiology of plant growth and development OL'GA ERDELSKÁ. Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská 14, 84223 Bratislava, Slovak Republic Plant embryology; developmental biology JOHANN GREILHUBER. University of Vienna, Institute of Botany, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria, e-mail: [email protected] Plant karyology JOHN M. HERR, Jr. University of South Carolina, Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, U.S.A., e-mail: [email protected] Plant morphology; anatomy; embryology ANDRZEJ JOACHIMIAK. Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Jagiellonian University, ul. Grodzka 52, 31-044 Cracow, Poland, Tel./Fax: +48-12-422 81 07, e-mail: [email protected] Plant genetics and cytogenetics; molecular phylogeny; sex determination; somaclonal variation BENGT E. JONSELL. Bergius Botanic Garden, Box 50017, S-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden, e-mail: [email protected] Plant taxonomy; biosystematics; plant geography ANNA KOLTUNOW. CSIRO Plant Industry, PO Box 350, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia, e-mail: [email protected] Plant reproduction, developmental biology – particularly seed and fruit (cellular and molecular aspects) JOLANTA MAŁUSZYŃSKA. Department of Plant Anatomy and Cytology, Silesian University, ul. Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Plany cytology; cytogenetics ELISABETH MATTHYS-ROCHON. RDP, ENS Lyon, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France, e- mail: [email protected] Plant gametes; pollination; cellular and molecular aspects of fertilization; in vitro development MARIA OLSZEWSKA. Department of Cytogenetics and Plant Molecular Biology, University of Łódź, ul. Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Plant cytochemistry and cytogenetics MARIA PAJĄK. Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Jagiellonian University, ul. Grodzka 52, 31-044 Cracow, Poland, Tel./Fax: +48-12-422 81 07, e-mail: [email protected] Plant embryology; apomixis JAN J. RYBCZYŃSKI. Botanical Garden – Center for Biological Diversity Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Prawdziwka 2, 02-973 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Plant tissue and organ culture; biotechnology; cryopreservation BARBARA SKUCIŃSKA. Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Science, The Agricultural University of Cracow, ul. Łobzowska 24, 31-140 Cracow, Poland Plant tissue and organ culture MICHIEL T. M. WILLEMSE. Laboratory of Plant Cell Biology, Wageningen Agricultural University, Arboretumlaan 4, 6703 BD Wageningen, The Netherlands, e-mail: [email protected] Sexual plant reproduction; biology of lower plants HONG-YUAN YANG. Key Laboratory of MOE for Plant Developmental Biology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China, e-mail: [email protected] Experimental manipulation of sexual plant cells; cell and developmental biology; fertilization and embryogenesis MACIEJ ZENKTELER. Laboratory of General Botany, Institute of Experimental Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Experimental embryology; plant tissue and organ culture 12th National Conference 'In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009' Integrating biotechnology, molecular biology and agronomic practice through in vitro cultures September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Patronage: Rector of the Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań Conference organized by: Department of General Botany, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland Tissue Culture Section of Polish Botanical Society Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences – Commission of Morphology and Embryology, Cracow, Poland Honorary Committee: Bronisław Marciniak Rector of Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland Bogdan Jackowiak Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland Secretary General of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences, Cracow, Poland Pro-Rector of the Jagiellonian University and Chairman of the Commission of Morphology and Embryology of Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences, Cracow, Poland Jerzy Wyrozumski Szczepan Biliński Scientific Committee: Anna Bach Krystyna Bojarczuk Teresa Cegielska-Taras Franciszek Dubert Ewa Łojkowska Agricultural University of Cracow, Department of Ornamental Plants, Cracow Poland Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Dendrology, Kórnik, Poland Institute of Plant Breeding and Acclimatization, Poznań, Poland Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology, Cracow, Poland University of Gdansk, Department of Biotechnology and Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland Jan Kępczyński Elżbieta Kuta Stefan Malepszy Jolanta Małuszyńska Teresa Orlikowska Jan J. Rybczyński Aurelia Ślusarkiewicz-Jarzina Jan Szopa Tomasz Twardowski Przemysław Wojtaszek Adam Woźny Maciej Zenkteler University of Szczecin, Department of Plant Physiology, Szczecin, Poland Jagiellonian University, Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Cracow, Poland University of Life Sciences, Department of Plant Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology, Warsaw, Poland Silesian University, Katowice, Poland Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, Skierniewice, Poland Polish Academy of Sciences, Botanical Garden, Warsaw, Poland Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plant Genetics, Poznań, Poland University of Wrocław, Department of Genetic Biochemistry, Wrocław, Poland Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Poznań, Poland Adam Mickiewicz University, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Poznań, Poland Adam Mickiewicz University, Department of General Botany, Poznań, Poland Adam Mickiewicz University, Department of General Botany, Poznań, Poland Organizing Committee: Maciej Zenkteler Adam Mickiewicz University, Department of General Botany, Poznań, Poland Jan J. Rybczyński Polish Academy of Sciences, Botanical Garden, Warsaw, Poland Ewa Kępczyńska University of Szczecin, Department of Plant Physiology, Szczecin, Poland Elżbieta Zenkteler Adam Mickiewicz University, Department of General Botany, Poznań, Poland Maria Katarzyna Wojciechowicz Adam Mickiewicz University, Department of General Botany, Poznań, Poland Agnieszka Bagniewska-Zadworna Adam Mickiewicz University, Department of General Botany, Poznań, Poland Rafał Mól Adam Mickiewicz University, Department of General Botany, Poznań, Poland Tomasz Wyka Adam Mickiewicz University, Department of General Botany, Poznań, Poland Barbara Stefaniak Adam Mickiewicz University, Department of General Botany, Poznań, Poland Łukasz Zarychta Adam Mickiewicz University, Department of General Botany, Poznań, Poland Language Editor: Technical Editor: Tomasz P. Wyka Agnieszka Bagniewska-Zadworna ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica CONTENTS Volume 51, suppl. 1, 2009 Lectures S. Malepszy – Plant biotechnology and in vitro culture – the fulfilled hopes? T. Orlikowska, P. Sobiczewski, E. Zenkteler – What's new in the control of bacterial contamination in plant tissue cultures? K. Skórkowska-Telichowska, M. Żuk, A. Kulma, A. Bugajska- Prusak, K. Ratajczak and J. Szopa – FlaxAid, a new wound dressing based on transgenic flax products T. Twardowski – GMO – A.D. 2009 P. Wojtaszek, E. Rodakowska, A. Kasprowicz, A. Szuba, D. Kierzkowski, P. Zawadzki, M. Maruniewicz, M. Wierzchowiecka, A. Kapczyńska, I. Kosicka, M. Michalak – Biology of cell wall-plasma membrane-cytoskeleton continuum in plants 12 12 13 13 14 Oral presentations T. Cegielska-Taras, I. Bartkowiak-Broda – Integration of in vitro culture, biotechnology and molecular biology in modern breeding of oilseed rape A. Czubacka, T. Doroszewska – Obtaining tobacco double haploids containing different sources of resistance to PVY M. Gliwicka, S. Balazadeh, C. Caldana, B. Mueller-Roeber, M. D. Gaj – The use of multi-qPCR platform and tan1 mutant in identification of TF genes involved in somatic embryogenesis in Arabidopsis K. Głowacka, S. Jeżowski – In vitro culture of Miscanthus sinensis anthers K. L. Janczur, A. Obarska, P. Kachlicki, B. Tomaszewska – In vitro selection of varieties and lines of Brassica napus L. resistant to multiple heavy metals R. Konieczny, M. Libik, E. Surówka, A. Nosal, Z. Miszalski – Enzymatic markers of rhizogenic competence in in vitro culture of common ice plant K. Kromer, A. Raj, B. Wojtuń, D. Poturała – Use of biotechnology for conservation of a critically endangered population of alpine saxifrage (Saxifraga nivalis L.) E. Kuta, J. Rojek, A. Pawełek-Skoczylas, B. Ślązak, J. Bohdanowicz – Autonomous endosperm induction in cultured unpollinated ovaries is strongly species dependent A. Mikuła, J. J. Rybczyński – Liquid nitrogen efficacy in protection of genetic stability in plant material J. Nowakowska – Application of genetically modified trees in forest plantations M. Pilarska, R. Konieczny, M. Tuleja, E. Kuta – Efficient plant regeneration of Trifolium nigrescens via somatic embryogenesis T. Pniewski, M. Bogusiewicz, K. Wyrwa, M. Czyż – HBV core antigen (HBcAg) as a plant-based prototype of therapeutic hepatitis B vaccine and a carrier for HBV preS epitopes P. M. Pukacki, M. Jarząbek, W. Jóźwiak, C. Lütz – Cryoprotective activity of thermal hysteresis protein in evergreen plants D. Raj, A. Kokotkiewicz , M. Łuczkiewicz – Influence of different culture strategies on growth and indolizidine alkaloid accumulation in Securinega suffruticosa shoot cultures 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 P. Sobiczewski – Bacteria in plant environment K. Szczygieł – Somatic embryogenesis of selected coniferous tree species W. Szypuła, J. Budziszewska, D. Delbani – In vitro culture of endophytic fungi as a potential source of a novel biologically active secondary metabolites K. Tomiczak, J. J. Rybczyński – Cytologial, cytometric and molecular characterization of gentian somatic hybrids A. Trojak-Goluch, A. Depta, M. Agacka – Induction of tetraploids in hop (Humulus lupulus L.) using in vitro cultures A. Wiszniewska, A. Pindel – Is that really a step forward in protoplast culture of lupins? M. K. Wojciechowicz – Anti-mitotic agents in Salix viminalis polyploid plant induction A. Wojciechowski, J. Janowicz, M. Stanisławska – The effect of genotype, explant type and medium on the regeneration of linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) in in vitro culture A. Wójcik, J. J. Rybczyński – Agrobacterium – mediated genetic transformation of Gentiana tibetica King M. Zalewska, N. Miler – Topophysis in adventitious shoots regeneration in vitro in Chrysanthemum M. Zawadzka, T. Orlikowska, P. Sobiczewski, A. Mikiciński, M. Sulikowska, E.Zenkteler – The control of bacterial contaminations during in vitro shoot multiplication E. Zenkteler, P. Sobiczewski, T. Orlikowska, K. Langer, J. Langer – Application of nanomaterials to fight and prevent bacteria in vitro M. Zenkteler – Some remarks on the application of in vitro techniques to manipulation of sexual reproduction of plants J. Zimny, S. Oleszczuk, A. Z. Czaplicki, H. Woś, J. Kozdój, S. Sowa, P. Bednarek – Application of androgenesis in basic research and breeding of cereals M. Żuk, J. Szopa – Increase of bioactive compounds in flax plants overexpressing enzymes of flavonoid synthesis pathway 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 Posters E. Andrzejewska-Golec, J. Makowczyńska – Micropropagation of Plantago coronopus L. M. Arendt, R. Galek, E. Sawicka-Sienkiewicz – In vitro cultures of embryonic axes of Lupinus mutabilis and L. albus A. Bach, B. Pawłowska, K. Hura – The effect of the exogenous phenolic compound, caffeic acid on organogenesis in Galanthus elwesii Hook. cultured in vitro A. Boba, A. Kulma, K. Kostyn, J. Szopa – Changes in terpenoid level after Fusarium treatment in flax M. Bogusiewicz, T. Pniewski – Expression of HBV core antigen (HBcAg) in transgenic tobacco and lettuce for purposes of therapeutic vaccine against hepatitis B A. Budzianowska, J. Budzianowski – Phenolic compounds in shoot and callus cultures of Plantago ovata Forssk. M. Bultrowicz, R. Mól – The use of pollen tube in vitro cultures for determination of nuclei positions in angiosperm pollen tubes A. Chuda, A. Adamus – Molecular analysis of interspecific Allium cepa × A. roylei hybrids J. Ciszewska-Marciniak, M. Jędryczka, J. Przyborowski, E. Zenkteler – Two year survey on health status of Salix × Populus hybrids in Warmia region A. Z. Czaplicki, S. Oleszczuk, J. Zimny – Albino regenerants from isolated microspores of wheat D. Czarnecka, A. Czubacka, T. Doroszewska – Optimization of the regeneration method of Miscanthus × giganteus in in vitro culture T. Czuj, M. Żuk, J. Szopa – Changes in sulfur amino acid contents in flax caused by overexpression of yeast Met25 gene lead to an increase in antioxidant capacity and Fusarium resistance J. Durok, E. Grzebelus, M. Szklarczyk – Phytosulfokine stimulates development of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) mesophyll protoplasts 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 K. Floryanowicz-Czekalska, J. J. Rybczyński – Gentiana cachemirica Decne in in vitro culture E. Gabryszewska, L. Kawa-Miszczak – Rooting in vitro and acclimation to the greenhouse of herbaceous peony plantlets M. Gliwicka, M. D. Gaj – Expression pattern of ABH1, CBP20 and HYL1 genes during somatic embryogenesis in Arabidopsis K. Górecka, D. Krzyżanowska, U. Kowalska, W. Kiszczak, R. Górecki – Obtaining plants from gametic embryos of red beet – preliminary investigations K. Górecka, D. Krzyżanowska, U. Kowalska, W. Kiszczak, R. Górecki – Yacon – in vitro propagation trials E. Grzebelus, M. Grabka – The effect of cefotaxime and carbenicillin on carrot protoplast cultures E. Grzebelus, M. Gładysz, E. Widlarz, D. Grzebelus – Cytological and molecular variation of carrot regenerants obtained through in vitro selection of carrot protoplasts against Alternaria radicina I. Grzegorczyk, H. Wysokińska – Micropropagation of Scutellaria altissima L. T. Hazubska-Przybył, P. Chmielarz, M. Michalak, K. Bojarczuk – Induction and proliferation of embryogenic tissues of Serbian spruce (Picea omorika) and their maintenance in liquid nitrogen A. Jagielska – Identification of European and Japanese larches and their hybrids based on genetic markers A. Kasprowicz, A. Szpitter, A. Maciejewska, M. Kamiński, E. Łojkowska, A. Królicka – In vitro cultures of Drosera binata as a source of compounds with antimicrobial activity A. Kawiński, J. Znaniecka, E. Łojkowska – Genetic diversity within population of endangered species Cypripedium calceolus A. Kiełkowska, A. Adamus – Morphological evaluation of interspecific F1 (Allium galanthum × A. cepa) hybrids M. Kikowska, B. Thiem – Characteristic of the cell suspension culture of Eryngium planum L. A. Kisiała, A. Niklas-Nowak, M. Orlińska, P. Nowaczyk – In vitro androgenic response of some pepper (Capsicum) genotypes to different levels of kinetin M. Klimek, R. Barański – Influence of the ploidy level on growth and organogenesis of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in vitro J. Klocek, G. Costa, H. Mioduszewska – A study of the influence of humic substances on in vitro potato growth and tuberization K. Kostyn, M. Czemplik, A. Boba, A. Kulma, J. Szopa – Genes involved in flax pathogenesis K. Kozak, R. Galek, E. Sawicka-Sienkiewicz – Induced androgenesis in anther culture of Lupinus angustifolius A. Krajewska-Patan, M. Dreger, M. Górska-Paukszta, A. Mścisz, S. Mielcarek, M. Baraniak, W. Buchwald, M. Furmanowa, P. M. Mrozikiewicz – Enhancing of salidroside and rosavin production in Rhodiola kirilowii callus cultures H. Kruczkowska, H. Pawłowska, B. Skucińska – Comparison of micropropagation methods of Polish cultivars of barley and oat K. Kużdowicz, M. Gośka – Shoot regeneration of perennial wild beet species in vitro I. Kwiecień, K. Bień, H. Ekiert – Biotransformation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in in vitro cultures of Ruta graveolens ssp. divaricata I. Kwiecień, S. Zubek, H. Ekiert – Studies of the biotransformation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in in vitro cultures of Ruta graveolens A. Luwanska, G. Mankowska, K. Wielgus – Artificial seeds of Linum usitatissimum L. and Morus alba L. in long-term storage under slow growth conditions M. Ładyżyński, J. J. Rybczyński – Regeneration of Gentiana cruciata from in vitro shoot tip culture D. Makowski, A. Mikuła, J. J. Rybczyński – Cryobank of gametophytes of tropical woody fern species M. Malik, B. Stawiarz – Somatic embryo formation in callus cultures of Narcissus L. 'Carlton' multiplied in liquid media 38 39 39 40 40 41 41 42 42 43 43 44 44 45 45 46 46 47 47 48 48 49 49 50 50 51 51 52 G. Mańkowska, A. Luwańska, K. Wielgus – The analysis of cell ploidy level in the explant tissue culture of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) and flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) I. Marcińska, E. Skrzypek, I. Czyczyło-Mysza, A. Stawicka, M. Pilipowicz – Does a relationship between the frequency of androgenesis and vernalization requirement exist in wheat? B. Muszyńska, K. Sułkowska-Ziaja – Analysis of indole compounds in Calocera viscosa mycelium cultured on liquid medium and in its fruiting bodies P. Nowaczyk, L. Nowaczyk – Conversion – the critical point of induced embryogenesis in Capsicum spp. A. Obarska, K. L. Janczur, B. Tomaszewska – Shoot induction potential of nine Brassica napus varieties and two types of explants T. Orlikowska, D. Kucharska, K. Klamkowski, M. Horbowicz, L. Lahuta – Is it possible to select drought-resistant Rubus genotypes from in vitro populations of seedlings or adventitious shoots? M. Ożarowski, B. Thiem – The effect of cytokinins on in vitro morphogenesis of Passiflora caerulea L. B. Pawłowska, A. Bach – Cryopreservation of in vitro grown shoot buds of rose 'New Dawn' using encapsulation-dehydration method A. Płażek, F. Dubert – Optimization of medium for callus induction and plant regeneration of Miscanthus × giganteus B. Płoszaj, J. Przyborowski – Initiation of an in vitro culture of elder (Sambucus nigra L.) meristems with the use of various sterilizers B. Płoszaj, J. Przyborowski – The effect of kinetin content in the culture medium on micropropagation of elder (Sambucus nigra L.) M. Podwyszyńska, A. Kuras, M. Korbin – ISSR analysis of genetic stability of Polish tulip cultivars propagated in vitro M. Podwyszyńska, E. Gabryszewska, M. Korbin, A. Jasiński – Evaluation of somaclonal variation in micropropagated Hemerocallis sp. plants using phenotype and ISSR markers A. Ponitka, A. Ślusarkiewicz-Jarzina, J. Woźna, H. Pudelska – Frequencies of spontaneous doubled haploids of winter triticale plants obtained by anther culture M. Popielarska-Konieczna, M. Braś, K. Rzenno, M. Łojewski, I. Marcińska – Isolation and in vitro culture of endosperm tissues in selected monocot and dicot species A. Ptak, J. Gądek – Micropropagation of Leucojum aestivum in a temporary immersion bioreactor system (RITA) D. Raj, A. Kokotkiewicz, A. Skorys, M. Łuczkiewicz – Preliminary analysis of polyphenolic fraction from intact plant and in vitro cultures of Securinega suffruticosa M. Rojek, M. Dydak, J. Kwasniewska, K. Walas, E. Wolny, K. Nowak, J. Małuszynska – Agrobacterium rhizogenes serves cytogenetics M. Rokicki, A. Wojciechowski – Use of wide crossing and in vitro culture for the induction of haploid embryogenesis in three cereal species E. Skrzypczak-Pietraszek, J. Pietraszek – Phenolic acids in in vitro cultures of Exacum affine Balf. f. E. Skrzypek, I. Marcińska, A. Stawicka, I. Czyczyło-Mysza, M.Pilipowicz – Induction of androgenesis in oat (Avena sativa L.) depending on kind of culture medium D. Sochacki – Evaluation of phenotypic trueness-to-type for selected cultivars of narcissus propagated by in vitro cultures A. Stojakowska, J. Malarz – Methyl jasmonate and fosmidomycin affect mono- and sesquiterpenoid production in root cultures of Inula royleana DC. and Inula macrocephala Boiss. & Kotschy ex Boiss. K. Sułkowska-Ziaja, B. Muszyńska – Mycelial cultures of some Aphyllophorales (Basidiomycetes): optimalization of in vitro culture conditions L. Szała, A. Olejnik, T. Cegielska-Taras – Molecular characterization of resynthesized oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) 52 53 53 54 54 55 55 56 56 57 57 58 58 59 59 60 60 61 61 62 62 63 63 64 64 M. Sztajnert, K. Ratajczak, A. Kulma, J. Szopa – Anti-inflammatory properties of transgenic flax fiber extract M. Szurman, M. Gliwicka, M. Gaj – Effect of 5-azacitidine on DNA methylation pattern and somatic embryogenesis in Arabidopsis W. Szypuła, J. Budziszewska, D. Delbani – Identification of culturable and non-culturable endophytic fungi isolated from shoots of Huperzia selago (L.) Bernh. ex Schrank & Mart. (Lycopodium selago L.) H. Ślesak, G. Góralski, P. Mizia, D. Kwolek, A. Joachimiak – Plant regeneration from liquid root culture of Rumex acetosa L. Analysis of genetic variability: preliminary studies J. Tarwacka, A. Szczerbakowa, B. Wielgat – Cytogenetic characteristics of the interspecific somatic hybrids of Solanum villosum (+) S. tuberosum B. Thiem, M. Kikowska, I. Paluch – Bioactive secondary metabolites in in vitro cultures of Eryngium alpinum L. M. Tomaszewska-Sowa – The regeneration of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) plants from unfertilized ovules cultured in vitro A. Trejgell, A. Tretyn – The effect of cytokinins on morphogenetic responses of Polemonium caeruleum seedling explants A. Trojanowska, M. D. Gaj – Capacity for shoot organogenesis in cultures of Arabidopsis hormone-response mutants A. Turczynowska, Z. Broda – Evaluation of regeneration efficiency of selected double haploid lines of rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera) M. Wajand, A. Ledwon, M. D. Gaj – Efficient shoot organogenesis induced in the culture of immature zygotic embryos of Arabidopsis M. Warchoł, F. Dubert, T. Kusibab – In vitro culture of Cordyline australis (G. Forst) Endl. I. Weremczuk-Jeżyna, H. Wysokińska – In vitro culture of Dracocephalum moldavica A. Wojtania, E. Gabryszewska – Influence of growth regulators and environmental factors on shoot multiplication of Camellia japonica in vitro W. Wojtasik, K. Kostyn, A. Kulma, J. Szopa – Pectin metabolism in Fusarium-infected flax seedlings T. P. Wyka, K. Ludwiczak – Regeneration of shoots from root explants in Mammillaria carmenae ~ Castaneda (Cactaceae) Ł. Zarychta, M. Zenkteler, A. Karmowska, E. Zenkteler – Intergeneric hybridization between Salix fragilis and Populus spp. in vivo and in vitro M. Zawadzka, T. Orlikowska – The influence of iron source in red raspberry cultures on the chlorophyll contents and histology of the leaves P. Zelazko, K. Kromer – In vitro reproduction of Drosera rotundifolia and conservation plant genetic resources of this species A. Źróbek-Sokolnik, C. Hołdyński, K. Górska-Koplińska – Propagation of Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.) Moench via indirect somatic embryogenesis 65 65 66 67 67 68 68 69 69 70 70 71 71 72 72 73 73 74 74 75 LECTURES LECTURES 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Plant biotechnology and in vitro culture – the fulfilled hopes? Stefan Malepszy Department of Plant Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warszawa, e-mail: [email protected] The in vitro culture is an intrinsic component of a single area of plant biotechnology, the one dealing with cloning. The in vitro industry maintains a strong position in the economy and is developing well. Cloning is also a stage required for recovery of genetically modified plants but in this regard it is highly imperfect. There are also fields of biotechnology in which prospects of utilizing solutions offered by in vitro cultures once appeared very promising but have so far not been fulfilled, and it seems that things will remain that way. What are the reasons of this failure? Did we mis-estimate the potential of in vitro cultures? Is it rather the result of a more general trend, or do the causes lay entirely somewhere else? The lecture will attempt to address these questions by analyzing specific circumstances and experimental data. It will also try to highlight key problems within the field of in vitro cultures, that, if solved, could likely benefit particular subdisciplines of biotechnology. What's new in the control of bacterial contamination in plant tissue cultures? Teresa Orlikowska1, Piotr Sobiczewski1, Elżbieta Zenkteler2 1 Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, Pomologiczna 18, 96-100 Skierniewice, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of General Botany, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, A. Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań There are three main issues in the control of bacterial contaminations in plant tissue cultures: 1. preventing the introduction of bacteria with the initial plant material, 2. preventing the introduction of bacteria from the environment during subculturing, 3. reducing bacterial contamination in the cultures at the stage of shoot multiplication and rooting. Problems with bacterial contamination in in vitro cultures will probably never be fully resolved due to the unlimited quantity and diversity of bacteria in the environment. At present, the lack of satisfactory characterization of bacteria often makes their identification and control impossible. Furthermore, bactericidal compounds are often damaging to plant tissue cultures. The most effective way of preventing bacterial contamination in vitro is elimination of bacteria from the initial plant explants that are introduced into the cultures. This is not easy, especially with endogenous bacteria, which are perfectly adapted to their hosts. The most promising methods involve the use of precultures of donor plants under a strict sanitary regime and efficient sterilization of the initial explants, reduction of the size of the initial explants 12 just to meristematic tips, and early detection of bacteria in the isolated tissue. In plant tissue cultures propagated for a long time or in cultures stored over long periods, it is possible for bacteria from the laboratory and human environment to accumulate. Such microorganisms can occupy their own niche in the culture vessels or on/in explants. Occasionally, they can also be sources of human pathogens. In such cases, the most effective solution is careful and frequent inspection of the cultures and the maintenance of a reserve of clean cultures under strictly protected conditions. Sometimes, bacteria emerge in great quantities at the stage of intensive shoot multiplication or rooting, affecting a large number of microplants. In this case, the obligatory procedure is to eliminate cultures containing the deleterious bacteria (including pathogenic species) and to add bactericidal compounds, that are not detrimental to the explants but that can diminish the bacterial population, to the media of the other cultures. In the lecture we will present illustrations from the most recent reports on this aspect of plant culture. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica LECTURES September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland FlaxAid, a new wound dressing based on transgenic flax products Katarzyna Skórkowska-Telichowska1,2, Magdalena Żuk1, Anna Kulma1, Ada Bugajska- Prusak1,2, Katarzyna Ratajczak1 and Jan Szopa1 1 Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63, 51-147 Wroclaw, Poland Department of Endocrinology and Department of Dermatology, IVth Clinical Military Hospital, Weigla 5, 50-981 Wroclaw, Poland 2 Recent reports have indicated that oxidative stress could be an important mechanism aggravating the chronic wound progression. It has been suggested that reactive oxygen species are responsible for chronic wound pathogenesis and anti-healing processes because of the reduction in proliferating capacity of wound cells exposed to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress causes damage to cellular macromolecules, down-regulates key proteins involved in DNA replication, de-regulates the cell cycle, increases the cellular resistance to oxidative stress and promotes apoptosis in wound fibroblasts. Multidirectional analysis has also revealed that chronic wound fibroblasts have a decreased ability to withstand oxidative stress. In agreement with this is the report providing evidence that antioxidative compounds, such as catechin, promote the healing of chronic gastric ulcers. In the present study we propose a new material and method of treatment of trophy lesions based on products from transgenic flax plants. The transgenic plants overproduced antioxidative compounds of different types. Characteristic features of those plants were an increase in phenolic contents in fibres and unsaturated fatty acids in seeds, and a strong increase in lignan in seedcake. It was expected that a coordinated use of fibres, oil emulsion and seedcake extract from transgenic plants will promote the healing of chronic skin ulceration. Therefore the primary goal of this study was to investigate the clinical improvement in chronic trophy lesions by investigating changes in wound exudation and the proportion between fibrin level and granulation level. Another goal of this study was to test the effect of FlaxAid wound dressing on wound size and the pain usually accompanying chronic ulceration. FlaxAid wound dressing is a three-component product based on fibres, oil emulsion and seedcake extract from genetically engineered flax plants. All these materials are derived from two types of transgenic flax plants which were obtained by plant transformation using three genes controlling the synthesis of antioxidative compounds from phenylpropanoid pathway and genes responsible for hydrophobic polymer synthesis. Simultaneous transformation of flax explants with three genes coding for chalcone synthase (CHS), chalcone isomerase (CHI) and dihydroflavonol reductase (DFR) resulted in accumulation of phenolic acids in fibres, polyunsaturated fatty acids in oil and lignans in seedcake. Simultaneous expression of three bacterial genes in flax vascular bundles resulted in synthesis of cellulose-polyhydroxybutyrate composite fibres. Those three products (fibres, oil, and seedcake) of transgenic flax that contained a broad spectrum of antioxidative compounds were tested for cytotoxicity and were sequentially used for chronic wound healing. None of these products showed negative effect on growth and morphology of Balb/3T3 cells in the cytotoxic assay. In this report we present the effects of linen dressing treatment alone and in combination with oil emulsion and seedcake extract on chronic wound healing in patients. A twelve week application of FlaxAid wound dressing gave a faster healing and, specifically, a reduction in wound exudates and wound size. In several cases wound healing was completed during the period of investigation. Interestingly and importantly, FlaxAid wound dressing diminished the pain accompanying chronic venous ulceration as reported by patients. The molecular mechanism of this effect was based on the action of cannabinoid (CBD), respective CB2 receptor activation and suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine. The beneficial effect of FlaxAid wound dressing on wound healing is reported here for the first time. GMO – A.D. 2009 Tomasz Twardowski Institute of Biorganic Chemistry PAS, Noskowskiego 12, 61-704 Poznań Modern biotechnology plays a critical role in the knowledge based bio-economy. For further development of bio-economy we need science and transfer of innovation from academia to industry as well as supportive legislation and public acceptance. Majority of members Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 of the Polish society are against genetic engineering and majority of experts are "pro" innovative technology. The Government is in favor of "GMO free zones" in contrast to the EU Commission's support for GMO. Quo vadis Polish biotechnology? 13 LECTURES 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Biology of cell wall-plasma membrane-cytoskeleton continuum in plants Przemysław Wojtaszek1,2, Ewelina Rodakowska1, Anna Kasprowicz1, Agnieszka Szuba2, Daniel Kierzkowski1, Paweł Zawadzki1, Michalina Maruniewicz1, Magdalena Wierzchowiecka1, Anna Kapczyńska1, Iga Kosicka1, Michał Michalak1 1 Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, email: [email protected] 2 Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznań Cell wall-plasma membrane-ccytoskeleton (WMC) continuum in plants is one of the major integrators of the structure and function of plant cells. Although spread throughout the cell, it also smoothly amalgamates into higher level structures, such as the apoplast, and thus constitutes an important determinant of plant's organismal features. Owing to the cell walls, it constitutes a major barrier between protoplasts and their surroundings, but it also is a dynamic entity participating in sensing of and responses to internal and external signals. Recent years have brought many interesting observations demonstrating the importance of WMC continuum in plants. Here, several major aspects will be presented and discussed. First, the continuum is deeply involved in signalling processes, among them those that affect the fate of individual cells as well as those that influence the growth and development of the whole plant. Moreover, more and more signalling molecules are identified that originate from the walls. Second, the 14 cell walls should no longer be considered as an invariant structure around the protoplast. They undergo recycling and remodelling, enabling a precise regulation of mechanical and chemical properties of the various wall domains. These processes are under a tight control by the cytoskeleton, and involve also intensive vesicle trafficking. Third, the continuum seems to constitute the major sensor and transducer of mechanical stimuli. This enables the control of the cell shape and, to some extent, function which finally results in modulations of cellular fate. All these aspects will be illustrated with data coming from the work in our lab. We would like to acknowledge the funding by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education grants PBZMNiI-2/1/2005, N302 028 32/2243, PBZ-MNiSW2/3/2006, N303 294434, N301 164435, N302 430034, N301 157035 and N303 360735. AK, IK, and MM participated in this work while being the students of Biotechnology at AMU Faculty of Biology. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica ORAL PRESENTATIONS ORAL PRESENTATIONS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Integration of in vitro culture, biotechnology and molecular biology in modern breeding of oilseed rape Teresa Cegielska-Taras, Iwona Bartkowiak-Broda Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute, Department of Genetics and Breeding of Oilseed Crops, Strzeszynska 36, 60-479 Poznan, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] During the past 30 years, oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) has become an important world crop. In Poland and in the European Union winter oilseed rape is the leading source of edible vegetable oil and high-protein meal. The increase of oilseed rape production during the last decades has been due to the considerable improvement of seed quality as well as yielding ability. The progress in the development of high yielding and good quality varieties has been achieved owing to the essential progress in the cellular and molecular biology of Brassica napus in the last years. The production of haploids and doubled haploids using microspore culture has accelerated the obtainment of homozygous lines in oilseed rape breeding. The use of molecular markers in marker assisted selection and genetic transformation technique for introduction of desirable traits using doubled haploids have been improved. Oilseed rape reveals a high level of heterosis, which is the reason that breeders are interested in the development of F1 hybrid varieties. Commercial production of F1 seeds requires an effective cross pollination system. Molecular selection of suitable genotypes, also applied to doubled haploid lines, accelerates the production of genetically uniform lines, especially parental lines needed for the hybridization systems. Genomics has been recently added to the wide range of techniques used for development and evaluation of new cultivars. Brassica napus lacks many desirable traits, especially resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, which causes considerable economic losses. In this case, asymmetric somatic hybridization has been carried out to achieve a succesful introgression of desired genes. The offspring of resynthesized oilseed rape originating from interspecific hybridization between appropriate forms of Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea (in combination with embryo rescue culture) represents a potentially important resource to expand the genetic diversity of the narrow gene pool of Brassica napus. These problems will be discussed using examples of investigations conducted at the Department of Genetics and Breeding of Oilseed Crops of the Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute in Poznań. Obtaining tobacco double haploids containing different sources of resistance to PVY Anna Czubacka, Teresa Doroszewska Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation – National Research Institute, Czartoryskich 8, 24-100 Puławy; e-mail: [email protected] Potato virus Y (PVY), especially its necrotic strains, is a dangerous pathogen of tobacco. It causes necrosis of nerves and leaf laminas leading to a significant yield reduction. Brown vein necrosis of tobacco caused by PVY is an important problem because new isolates able to break resistance are still occurring. One of resistance sources is a wild species Nicotiana africana that shows resistance to all tested PVY isolates. Breeding BPA lines derived from crossing N. tabacum cv. BP-210 × N. africana are tolerant of many PVY isolates. Another source of resistance are transgenic tobacco lines – MN944 LMV (cultivar Mac Nair containing gene of lettuce mosaic virus coat protein) and AC Gayed ROKY2 (cultivar AC Gayed containing gene of PVY replicase). To increase the 16 level of resistance by combining these sources of resistance, hybrids coming from crosses between transgenic line MN 944 LMV and line BPA as well as MN 944 LMV and AC Gayed ROKY2 were obtained. The most resistant hybrids were used for producing haploids via androgenesis. Immature anthers were put on Nitch & Nitch medium. Regenerated plants were analyzed with respect to the presence of transgenes and ploidy level. They were also inoculated with PVY. Most of the haploids showed to be resistant to the virus. Some of them were tolerant and only a few were susceptible. Doubled haploids were obtained by regeneration from stem fragments of resistant haploids. The ploidy levels of regenerated plants were estimated by flow cytometry. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica ORAL PRESENTATIONS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland The use of multi-qPCR platform and tan1 mutant in identification of TF genes involved in somatic embryogenesis in Arabidopsis Marta Gliwicka1, Salma Balazadeh2,3, Camila Caldana3, Bernd Mueller-Roeber2,3 and Małgorzata D. Gaj1 1 Department of Genetics, University of Silesia, Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 24-25 Karl-Liebknecht Str., Haus 20, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany 3 Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, 1 Am Muehlenberg , 14476 Golm, Germany [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Somatic embryogenesis (SE) induced in vitro provides a valuable method for plant regeneration and is widely used in micropropagation and genetic transformation of plants. Thus, determination of genetic factors involved in triggering, in somatic cells, of the new, embryogenic mode of development is of practical value. The change in cell development requires a global rearrangement of the genetic program. Regulatory genes, especially transcription factors (TF), are believed to play a key role in this process. Here, we present the results of an experiment, in which the multiplex qPCR platform for Arabidopsis TFs was used to identify genes involved in the induction phase of SE. Two Arabidopsis genotypes differing in capacity for SE under in vitro culture were used: the tanmei/emb2757 embryonal mutant unable to undergo SE and its parental ecotype Col-0 with a high capacity for somatic embryo formation. RNAs were isolated from freshly isolated explants and explant-derived cultures on 5th and 10th days of in vitro culture and the transcriptoms of the analyzed genotypes were compared in three biological replicates. The relative expression levels of 1920 known Arabidopsis TF genes were monitored with the use of qPCR reactions and UBQ10 gene as standard control. It was found that only less than 6% of the analyzed TF genes were not expressed at any of the analyzed culture samples and over 78% of the TFs showed differences in activity between the compared genotype/culture time point combinations. We found that transcriptoms of the Col-0 and mutant explants differed significantly and over 26% of the analyzed TFs displayed at least 5-fold up- or down-regulation in the compared tissues. The analysis indicated that 86 of all analyzed TFs were significantly up- or down-regulated (at least 5 fold) at different time points of embryogenic cultures derived from the compared genotypes. Among the differentially regulated genes, bHLH, MYB and MADS TF families were found to be the most frequently represented. Further experiments are conducted, in which nine of the selected genes (At1g24625, At1g27740, At1g31040, At1g79580, At2g26320, At3g04030, At3g56970, At5g24330, At5g65050) are analyzed in terms of their potential functions in SE. In vitro culture of Miscanthus sinensis anthers Katarzyna Głowacka, Stanisław Jeżowski Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Species of Miscanthus are perennial, rhizomatous grasses originating from Asia, that have the potential for very high rates of growth. Because of perenniality and C4 photosynthetic pathway, species from the genus Miscanthus possess several characteristics that make them favourable crops for efficient biomass production. The focus of this study was the induction of androgenesis in culture of Miscanthus sinensis anthers. Genetic (genotype) and nongenetic (cold pre-treatment, induction medium, date of beginning of anther culture) factors influencing androgenesis were studied. We were successful in inducting androgenesis in M. sinensis anther culture. Examination of acetocarmine squashes prepared from anthers from a sixweek-old culture showed up to 15 nonsynchronously developing pollen-derived polycellular structures. The calVol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 lus yield was strongly affected by the genotype. A beneficial influence of cold pre-treatment of spikes on the induction of androgenesis was observed. The results suggest that the high callus yield might be caused by the late initiation of culture. Initiating anther cultures at the end of the flowering season caused a significant increase in callus yield in comparison to cultures initiated in the height of flowering season. It is likely, however, that the improved efficiency of androgenesis induction in the case of M. sinensis anther culture initiated in autumn could be related to a positive influence of growing donor plants under the conditions of cooler and shorter days, i.e. 11-h days with temperature around 11°C and 13-h nights with temperature around 5°C. 17 ORAL PRESENTATIONS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ In vitro selection of varieties and lines of Brassica napus L. resistant to multiple heavy metals Katarzyna L. Janczur1, Agata Obarska1, Piotr Kachlicki2, Barbara Tomaszewska1 1Department of Biochemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Laboratory of Resistance Genetics, Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Science, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Heavy metal contamination presents a serious problem worldwide. The existing methods of decontamination are usually not only expensive but also invasive to the environment. Phytoremediation – a group of methods of pollutant removal based on living plants grows in significance as a valuable alternative. Among other methods phytoextraction, the technology of extracting the contaminating agents from soils through the plant root system is the most applicable as far as heavy metal contamination is concerned. Particular traits such as: high heavy metal accumulation and translocation to aboveground parts, high biomass production and well known agricultural techniques are required for the plant to be useful for such purpose and only a limited number of plant species can be used in phytoextraction processes (Vera-Estrella et al., 2009). Therefore there is an increasing need to understand the defense mechanisms that make a plant tolerant to heavy metals as well as to directly know which plants are particularly useful. This requires testing of different species and varieties for heavy metals resistance (Nehnevajova et al. 2007). In vitro cultures of plants constitute a powerful tool to achieve such aim. One of the plant species known for its relatively high tolerance and accumulation is rapeseed (Brassica napus). In our research we tested nine Brassica napus cultivars towards resistance to Zn, Pb, Cu and Cd applied in combination. From each cultivar, two types of explants – hypocotyl and petiole were cultured on MS medium supplemented with hormones (0.15 mg/l NAA and 3 mg/l BAP), AgNO3 (2.5 mg/l) and ZnSO4, PbNO3, CuSO4 and CdSO4 at the concentrations of 30 μM, 60 μM, 7 μM and 7 μM, respectively in order to obtain multi-heavy metal – resistant lines from regenerated plants. By measuring the shoot induction frequency and effectiveness parameters we showed that the potential to regenerate on medium supplemented with heavy metals differs significantly among the different B. napus cultivars. REFERENCES VERA-ESTRELLA R, MIRANDA-VERGARA M, BARKLA BJ. 2009. Zinc tolerance and accumulation in stable cell suspension cultures and in vitro regenerated plants of the emerging model plant Arabidopisi halleri (Brassiceae). Planta 229: 977–986. NEHNEVAJOVA E, HERZIGR, ERISMANN KH, SCHWITHGUEBEL JP. 2007. In vitro breeding of Brassica juncea L. to enehance metal accumulation and extraction properties. Plant Cell Reports 26: 429–437. Enzymatic markers of rhizogenic competence in in vitro culture of common ice plant Robert Konieczny1, Marta Libik2, Ewa Surówka2, Agnieszka Nosal1, Zbigniew Miszalski2,3 1Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Jagiellonian University, Grodzka 52, 31-044 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 21, 30-239 Cracow, Poland 3 Institute of Biology, Pedagogical University, Podbrzezie 3, 31-054 Cracow Hypocotyl explants of Mesembryantheum crystallinum L. were maintained on root induction medium for 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14 days followed by subculture onto shoot induction medium for 14 days. Using tissue transfer experiments, rhizogenic determination was found to occur on the 5 day after explantation. Histological studies revealed the presence of clumps of meristematic cells at the time of determination whilst roots with root caps were observed after 7 days of culture. The endogenous concentration of H2O2 changed throughout the culture, reaching a peak on day 3, followed by a gradual decrease till day 14. The activity of catalase (CAT) decreased after day 1 and became constant till day 5. Next, a significant increase in its activity was observed, followed by a slight decrease on days 10 and 14. An increase in CAT activity was concomitant with the occurrence of its additional form CATII on the 5th day of culture. The pattern of activity of superoxide dismutases (SODs) was similar for CuZnSOD, FeSOD and MnSODI forms throughout the culture, being generally slightly higher (days 3, 5, 7) or similar (days 10 and 14) to control. On the 5th 18 day of culture, that is at the time of induction of rhizogenic determination, an additional band of activity of MnSODII occurred. Its intensity remained constant until day 14. Fumarase activity and general respiration intensity reminded constant, with the exception of day 14 when a conspicuous increase was noted, while cytochrome c oxidase activity altered throughout the culture and corresponded with the photosynthetic activity measured as chlorophyll a fluorescence. A decrease in cytochrome c oxidase activity as well as in fluorescence parameter of chlorophyll a correlated with a slight increase of SOD activity on the 3rd day and CAT activity on 5th day suggesting alterations in ROS levels that preceded rhizogenesis. In summary, the occurrence of specific forms CATII and MnSODII did not seem to be directly related to metabolic changes accompanying regeneration but rather corresponded with the tight regulation of endogenous H2O2 level, itself possibly directly involved in the regenerative process. Acknowledgements: Financial support of MNiSW (Project No 303356935) is acknowledged. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica ORAL PRESENTATIONS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Use of biotechnology for conservation of a critically endangered population of alpine saxifrage (Saxifraga nivalis L.) Krystyna Kromer1, Andrzej Raj2, Bronisław Wojtuń3, Dorota Poturała1 1 Botanic Garden, University of Wrocław, Sienkiewicza 23, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland, [email protected] Karkonoski National Park, Chałbińskiego 23, 58-570 Jelenia Góra, Poland, [email protected] 3 Department of Botany and Plant Ecology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, pl. Grunwaldzki 24a, 50-363 Wrocław, Poland, [email protected] 2 Saxifraga nivalis is an arctic-alpine species that inhabits rocks in the upper sub-alpine zone. In central Europe it is known from only one location in the Karkonosze Mountains, where it grows in crevices and windings of basalt rocks in the glacial circus of Mały Śnieżny Kocioł. The population is endangered because of the restricted cross pollination, small production of viable seeds and poor vegetative reproduction (Fabiszewski, 2001). Considering the threats to the existing population, our efforts focus on successful maintenance of this population and creation of supplementary habitats to preserve the genetic pool of Polish representatives of the genus Saxifraga. Sterilized seeds were sown on 1/2MS medium and the cultures were kept at 25°C. After 3 months, seedlings reached 1.5 cm and their further growth was examined under various temperature regimes (4–25°C) and light intensities (20–80 μmol quanta m-2 s-1). The impact of mineral nutrition and phytohormones on growth and propagation was also evaluated. The number of stimulated axillary buds fluctuated from 5 to 10 per rosette on the basal medium under controlled growth conditions. Comparison of plant growth at supplementary locations, i.e. in the Wrocław Botanical Garden (120 m a.s.l.) and at the Jagniątków nursery of Karkonoski National Park (650 m a.s.l.) showed that plants performed perfectly well at the higher altitude. Autonomous endosperm induction in cultured unpollinated ovaries is strongly species dependent Elżbieta Kuta1, Joanna Rojek2, Agnieszka Pawełek-Skoczylas1, Błażej Ślązak1, Jerzy Bohdanowicz2 1 Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Jagiellonian University, Grodzka 52, 31-044 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Genetics and Cytology, University of Gdańsk, Kładki 24, 80-822 Gdańsk, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] In sexually reproducing angiosperms embryo and endosperm development is initiated by double fertilization and a ratio of 2 maternal genomes to 1 paternal genome (2m:1p) is essential for endosperm formation. However, there is a group of taxa (autonomous apomicts) representing fertilization-independent embryo and endosperm development. Autonomous endosperm (AE) can be induced experimentally with the use of irradiated pollen and also through in vitro culture of unfertilized ovules or ovaries. These results could be very helpful in understanding the mechanisms leading to endosperm development with no involvement of paternal genome and therefore how genomic imprinting can be overcome in sexually reproducing flowering plants. Unpollinated pistils, ovaries, ovules of several wild (Viola tricolor, Salix viminalis, Arabidopsis thaliana var. Columbia and Landsberg, Alisma pantago-aquatica, Sedum acre, Gagea lutea, Anemone nemorosa, A. ranunculoides Capsella bursa-pastoris), cultivated (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Adelajda, Cunero, Havana, Maeva, Shirley; Brassica napus cv. Topas, var. Feliks, Synapis alba) and ornamental taxa (Viola xWittrockiana, V. cornuta, Calendula officinalis, Rudbeckia bicolor), representing annual, perennial and woody life forms were cultured on hormone-free MS medium (with different sucrose concentrations) as well as on media supplemented with plant growth regulators: 2,4-D, NAA, BAP, KIN, IAA, GA3, homoBl (homobrassinolide) in different concentrations and combinations. Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 Partial AE development (or endosperm like structure) was induced in unpollinated ovules on hormone-free MS medium as well as on media supplemented with growth regulators but the frequency was species not medium dependent. Lack of induction was noted in V. tricolor, V. xWittrockiana, V. cornuta, Alisma pantago-aquatica, Sedum acre, Gagea lutea, Anemone nemorosa, Brassica napus var. Feliks, Synapis alba; sporadically was observed in Lycopersicon, Rudbeckia, Calendula, Salix Capsella bursa-pastoris and Anemone ranunculoides. The highest frequency of AE formation was found in Arabidopis thaliana (45% of ovaries have ovules with AE) but neither cellularization nor differentiation on specific regions typical for endosperm of wild-type Arabidopsis, resulting from fertilization were observed. REFERENCES ROJEK J, KUTA E, PRZYWARA L. 2002. Autonomous endosperm development in unpollinated ovaries of Brassica napus L. cv. Topas cultured in vitro. Acta Biologica Cracoviensia Series Botanica 44: 195-202. ROJEK J, KUTA E, BOHDANOWICZ J. 2005. In vitro culture promotes partial autonomous endosperm development in unfertilized ovule of wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana var. Columbia. Sexual Plant Reproduction 18: 29-36. KAPUSTA M, ROJEK J, BOHDANOWICZ J. 2007. Induction of autonomous endosperm development in ovules of unpollinated pistils of Arabidopsis thaliana var. Landsberg cultured in vitro. Acta Biologica Cracoviensia Series Botanica 49/2: 53-59. 19 ORAL PRESENTATIONS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Liquid nitrogen efficacy in protection of genetic stability in plant material Anna Mikuła, Jan J. Rybczyński Botanical Garden – Center for Biological Diversity Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Prawdziwka 2, 02-973 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Cryopreservation is important for long-term conservation of plant genetic resources, especially for species producing recalcitrant seeds and crops that are propagated clonally through grafting or through vegetative cuttings, suckers, roots, tubers and bulbs. Up to now, it has been successfully used for over 100 plant species. Despite the fact that in the temperature of liquid nitrogen the cell division and metabolism are arrested, the factors associated with cryotreatment, cryostorage or plant recovery could become sources of somaclonal variability. The lecture will attempt of assess the state of knowledge concerning the influence of cryopreservation on the morphogenic capacity of tissues and genetic integrity of plants. Assessment of genetic and epigenetic stability of the recovered plants derived from cryopreserved plant material is an important step to success of any storage protocol. Determination of the plant's "trueness-to-type" after cryopreservation can be carried out at the phenotypic, histological, cytological, biochemical and molecular levels. Several molecular markers based on different techniques (RFLP, RAPD, AFLP, MSAP, SSR) have been applied. The results suggest that the processes of cryoprotection and cryostorage have an impact on DNA methylation status and could lead to alterations in chromatin structure and changes in gene expression. However, majority of studies have reported insignificant or null influence of cryopreservation on the plant material. Application of genetically modified trees in forest plantations Justyna Nowakowska Department of Genetics and Forest Tree Physiology, Forest Research Institute, Sękocin Stary, Braci Leśnej 3, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Wide use of forest-tree products and progressive deterioration of natural forests make the development of new sources of wood supply necessary. Human activities and global climate change make forest ecosystems more prone to biotic and abiotic agents. Some of the measures taken to control them rely on achievements of biotechnology. For several years, genetic engineering has been applied to create modified trees in order to enhance their growth, quality of wood, susceptibility to pathogens and pest resistance. Efforts have concentrated mostly on Populus sp. and Eucalyptus sp. whose genomes are considered to be easily transformed via the traditional Agrobacterium 20 tumefaciens mediated method or by particle bombardment. Other tree species, i.e. spruce, pine and birch have also been studied in the field of molecular engineering, with main focus on the introduction of cry and aro genes, conferring insect and herbicide resistance in forest-tree plantations. The paper discusses some problems in GMO foresttree breeding and summarizes recent achievements in the transformation of tree species, in the context of possible applications for improving and introducing novel traits into forest plantations. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica ORAL PRESENTATIONS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Efficient plant regeneration of Trifolium nigrescens via somatic embryogenesis Maria Pilarska, Robert Konieczny, Monika Tuleja, Elżbieta Kuta Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Jagiellonian University, 52 Grodzka str., 31-044 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] This study presents an efficient protocol for regeneration of Trifolium nigrescens Viv. plants via somatic embryogenesis (SE). The immature zygotic embryos at torpedo (TsE) and cotyledonary (CsE) stage were cultured on EC6 (TsE) and MS (CsE) solid media supplemented with auxins and cytokinins. The type of explant and the combination and concentration of plant growth regulators were the key factors for the induction of somatic embryos. SE was observed directly during culture of TsE on media supplemented with 2, 4 or 8 mg/l 2,4-D. Cytokinin (kinetin or 2iP) and auxin (2,4-D or NAA) alone did not induce somatic embryos from CsE. The combination of 2 mg/l 2iP or kinetin along with 2,4-D or NAA had beneficial effect for somatic embryo induction from CsE, but the addition of cytokinin was inhibitory for SE induction from TsE. The highest frequency of SE (up to 100%) was obtained from CsE cultured on medium supplemented with 4 mg/l 2,4-D and with 2.0 mg/l 2iP. The appearance of somatic embryos was concomitant with the inhibition of shoot and root growth of the original embryo. After 3–5 days the explants became swollen. The first somatic embryos appeared directly from upper part of the hypocotyl after 7 days of culture (TsE and CsE) and margin of cotyledons (TsE). After 10 days the explants started to produce embryogenic callus. Somatic embryos induced from TsE became necrotic after 10–18 days of culture. Most of the embryoids induced from CsE and maintained on media containing 2,4-D and kinetin or 2iP displayed several morphological abnormalities such as: fusion of embryonic axes, elongated hypocotyls, fused cotyledons or additional cotyledons. Subculturing somatic embryos on hormone-free medium resulted in their conversion into plants with an average frequency of 25%. These relatively low conversion rates clearly seemed to be related to the various morphological abnormalities induced under in vitro conditions. Somatic embryos obtained from CsE on media containing NAA and kinetin or 2iP had mostly normal morphology (clearly distinguishable root and shoot poles) and after transferring onto hormone-free medium regenerated into flowering plants with 64–100% frequency (depending on auxin concentration in the induction medium). HBV core antigen (HBcAg) as a plant-based prototype of therapeutic hepatitis B vaccine and a carrier for HBV preS epitopes Tomasz Pniewski, Maria Bogusiewicz, Katarzyna Wyrwa, Marcin Czyż Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Chronic hepatitis B afflicts 400 mln people worldwide and is the main factor inducing hepatocellular carcinoma and the cirrhosis. The inefficiency of current anti-viral drugs encourages research on new methods of hepatitis B therapy using durable and highly immunogenic Capsid-Like Particles (CLPs) formed by HBV core antigen HBcAg (Lau et al., 2002). The preS epitopes are used mainly for HBV prophylaxis but they are also considered as alternative for hepatitis B therapy (Couillin et al., 1999). However preS epitopes require a carrier, e.g. HBcAg, for stabilization and immunogenic display (Murray and Shiau, 1999; Chen et al., 2004). PreS1 and preS2 epitopes were inserted into immunodominant 'c' epitope of HBcAg, displayed on the surface of CLPs. HBcAg and HBcAg-preS1 and HBcAg-preS2 coding sequences were placed under control of CaMV 35S promoter and the transgenes were transferred into genomes of tobacco and lettuce via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Regenerated plants expressed HBcAg at a level of up to 400 μg/g FW but HBcAg-preS only at a level reaching 30–40 μg/g FW. HBcAg and HBcAg-preS proteins were stably produced in plants during plant development and in consecutive generations, as confirmed Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 by ELISA assay and western blot analysis. Selected plant lines, verified for CLPs assembly and immunogenicity, can be potentially exploited as an initial material to produce therapeutic vaccine for chronic HBV carriers, orally administered when produced in lettuce, and injective, when produced in tobacco. REFERENCES CHEN X, LI M, LE X, MA W, ZHOU B. 2004. Recombinant hepatitis B core antigen carrying preS1 epitopes induce immune response against chronic HBV infection. Vaccine 22: 439–446. COUILLIN I, POL S, MANCINI M, DRISS F, BRECHOT C, TIOLLAIS P, and MICHEL ML. 1999. Specific vaccine therapy in chronic hepatitis B: induction of T cell proliferative responses specific for envelope antigens. The Journal of Infectious Diseases 180: 15–26. LAU GK, SURI D, LIANG R, RIGOPOULOU EI, THOMAS MG, MULLEROVA I, NANJI A, YUEN ST, WILLIAMS R, and NAOUMOV NV. 2002. Resolution of chronic hepatitis B and anti-HBs seroconversion in humans by adoptive transfer of immunity to hepatitis B core antigen. Gastroenterology 122: 614–624. MURRAY K, and SHIAU AL. 1999. The core antigen of hepatitis B virus as a carrier for immunogenic peptides. Biol Chem 380: 277–283. 21 ORAL PRESENTATIONS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Cryoprotective activity of thermal hysteresis protein in evergreen plants Paweł M. Pukacki1, Magdalena Jarząbek1, Weronika Jóźwiak1, Cornelius Lütz2 1 Physiology of Abiotic Stress Laboratory, Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL 62-035 Kórnik, Poland, e-mail:[email protected] 2 Department Physiology and Cell Physiology of Alpine Plants, Institute of Botany, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria Thermal hysteresis proteins (THPs) inhibit the growth of ice by binding to the surface of ice crystals, preventing the addition of water molecules to cause a local depression of the freezing point. Recent findings demonstrate that apoplastic THPs from Norway spruce show anti-ice nucleation activity (Jarząbek et al., 2009), and also embryonic axes from Acer, Fagus and Quercus seeds possess specific cryoprotective activity proteins. Here, we have focused on the most active THPs from five frost-hardy conifers of North American and Eurasian boreal forest: Abies grandis (Douglas ex D.Don)Lindl., Picea pungens Engelm., Pinus nigra J.F.Arnold, Pinus sylvestris L., and Tsuga canadensis (L.)Carriere, and additionally from one alpine (2100 m a.s.l.) evergreen shrub Loiseleuria procumbens L. The objective of this study was to determine whether the thermal hysteresis proteins of frost-hardy plants influence survival at subzero temperatures by modifying the freezing process and/or by acting as cryoprotectants. Apoplastic extracts were obtained by vacuum infiltration of leaves with 5 mM ascorbic acid, and the extracts were concentrated by using a 10 kDa cut-off Ultrafree centrifugal filter device (Millipore). Proteins were analysed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Cryoprotective activity of apoplastic proteins was determined with the use of the freeze/thaw inactivation, by four cycles in liquid nitrogen (–196°C) and room temperature while the assay of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was performed as described by Wisniewski et al. (1999). Antifreeze activity was determined by using the droplet freezing assay (Vali, 1971). Acknowledgement: This work was supported by the Polish Ministry of Sciences and Higher Education grant to P.M.P. REFERENCES JARZąBEK M, PUKACKI PM, NUC K. 2009. Cold-regulated proteins with potent antifreeze and cryoprotective activities in spruces (Picea spp.). Cryobiology 58: 268–274. VALI G. 1971. Quantitative evaluation of experimental results on the heterogeneous freezing nucleation of supercooled liquids. Journal of Atmospheric Sciences 28: 402–409. WISNIEWSKI M, WEBB R, BALSAMO R, CLOSE TJ, YU XM, GRIFFITH M. 1999. Purification, immunolocalization, cryoprotective and antifreeze activity of PCA60: A dehydrin from peach (Prunus persica). Physiologia Plantarum 105: 600–608. Influence of different culture strategies on growth and indolizidine alkaloid accumulation in Securinega suffruticosa shoot cultures Danuta Raj1, Adam Kokotkiewicz2 , Maria Łuczkiewicz2 1 Chair and Department of Pharmacognosy, Wroclaw Medical University, pl. Nankiera 1, 50-140 Wroclaw , e-mail:[email protected] 2 Chair and Department of Pharmacognosy, Medical University of Gdansk, ul. Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdańsk Securinine is one of the indolizidine alkaloids from Securinega suffruticosa, Phyllanthaceae. It is a CNS stimulant, and GABA receptor antagonist. Moreover, this compound may be helpful in prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease as neuroprotector against neurotoxicity induced by β-amyloid (25–35) and can improve the quality of life in people suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (Raj and Łuczkiewicz, 2008). In vitro cultures allow production of biologically active compounds in a controlled manner, independent of climatic conditions and season. Considering the special properties of S. suffruticosa and the fact that the plant is not native to the European climate, it seemed pertinent to investigate in vitro cell cultures of this plant. The aim of this work was to test different culture strategies in order to determine the influence of investigated factors on the accumulation of indolizidine alkaloids by S. suffruticosa shoot biomass and to create an in vitro plant system suitable for the production of securinine. 22 Moreover, attempts were made to scale up the experimental culture of S. suffruticosa shoots to the bioreactor scale. Within the experiment, culture type (stationary or shaken), growth conditions (light access) and production scale (bioreactors) were modified to achieve the purpose. Moreover, the cultures were fed with precursor of biosynthesis and growth complexes (casein hydrolysate and coconut water) to change the production potential of the shoots. Murashige for Lilium (ML) medium was used as the basis. Phytochemical screening of all in vitro biomasses was carried out simultaneously. The TLC technique with densitometric detection was used for all phytochemical analyses (Raj et al., 2009). REFERENCES RAJ D, ŁUCZKIEWICZ M. 2008. Securinega suffruticosa, Fitoterapia 79: 419–427. RAJ D, KOKOTKIEWICZ A, ŁUCZKIEWICZ M. 2009. HPTLC-densitometric determination of indolizidine alkaloids in the herb and in-vitro cultures of Securinega suffruticosa, JPC accepted, not published. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica ORAL PRESENTATIONS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Bacteria in plant environment Piotr Sobiczewski Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, Pomologiczna 18, 96-100 Skierniewice, e-mail: [email protected] Plant environment contains diverse bacteria whose populations are determined, both in quantitative and qualitative terms, by conditions present in a particular biotope. Those conditions play an important role in mutual relationships between plant and bacteria as well as between bacteria and other organisms. Most of bacteria colonizing the rhizosphere, rhizoplane and phylloplane are commensals that do not have detectable influence on plant growth or physiology. Among mutualistic bacteria, the microsymbionts of leguminous plants and other bacteria promoting plant growth and yield may be distinguished. Their activity leads to an increase in bioavailability of nutrients, production of substances improving plant growth (e.g. phytohormones) and/or biological reduction of pathogens and other deleterious organisms. Endophytic bacteria colonizing healthy plant tissue offer an enormous potential for increased agronomic performance of plants. The influence of bacteria on plant vigor and health status may also involve their participation in bioremediation of soil pollutants, decomposition of organic matter and improvement of soil structure. Although bacteria with the ability to degrade toxic substances represent a small fraction of soil microorganism populations present in plant habitats, they can play an important role in plant productivity. Of more than 5000 species of bacteria recognized, over 100 are the causal agents of plant diseases. They constitute a very important factor limiting growth and yield of cultivated plants. Some diseases, such as fire blight of apple and pear (Erwinia amylovora) or bacterial canker of tomato (Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis) can devastate the plants over considerable areas making their production unprofitable for many years. Pathogenic bacteria are divided into two major groups: eubacteria possessing the cell wall and ability to grow on artificial media and bacteria without cell wall but surrounded by cell membrane only. The latter group, called mollicutes, formerly known as mycoplasma-like organisms, includes phytoplasmas and spiroplasmas. In recent years the development of modern molecular techniques has enhanced interest in the genomics and proteomics of plant-associated bacteria. The conventional methods of their identification have been supplemented and often replaced by DNA-based analysis allowing the improvement of diagnostics and the study of bacterial phylogeny. Somatic embryogenesis of selected coniferous tree species Krystyna Szczygieł Department of Genetics and Forest Tree Physiology, Forest Research Institute, Braci Leśnej Street, No 3, Sękocin Stary, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Somatic embryogenesis in combination with cryopreservation is very effective in preservation of selected genotypes and mass clonal propagation. Experiments on somatic embryogenesis in selected spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), silver fir (Abies alba Mill.), and European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) were conducted to determine if this method of micropropagation enables forest nurseries to produce quality seedling. Mature and immature zygotic embryos or megagametophytes with immature embryos were used for embryogenic tissue initiation in spruce, silver fir and European larch. Experiments were also carried out on embryogenic callus of hybrid larch (Larix×leptoeuropaea) (INRA, Orleans). High frequencies of embryogenic callus formation were achieved in spruce (23-31%) and fir (29%) when mature zygotic embryo explants were used, whereas immature embryos were required in larches (36% frequency). Initiation of somatic embryogenesis from somatic embryos resulted in second and third generation of embryogenic calli. Maturation of spruce somatic embryos was achieved on BM (Gupta and Durzan, 1986) medium containing 20–40 μM ABA combined with 1 μM IBA when tissue was cultured under low intensity Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 light for 5 weeks. For larch, the MSG (Becwar et al., 1990) medium supplemented with 20–60 μM ABA and 1 μM IBA and also cultivation of tissue under low light intensity for 3–4 weeks was the best. Somatic embryos of silver fir required 8–10 weeks of cultivation in darkness on modified MCM medium (Bornman and Jansson, 1981 after Hristoforoglu et al., 1995) supplemented with 20 μM ABA and 1 μM IBA for maturation. The present studies demonstrated the possibility of applying somatic embryogenesis for efficient propagation of coniferous trees. REFERENCES BECWAR MR, NAGMANI R, WANN SR. 1990. Initiation of embryogenic cultures and somatic embryo development in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Canadian Journal of Forest Research 20: 810–817. GUPTA PK, DURZAN DJ. 1986. Plantlet regeneration via somatic embryogenesis from subcultured callus of mature embryos of Picea abies (Norway spruce). In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology – Plant 22: 685–688. HRISTOFOROGLU K, SCHMIDT J, BOLHAR-NORDENKAMPF H. 1995. Development and germination of Abies alba somatic embryos. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culure 40: 277–284. 23 ORAL PRESENTATIONS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ In vitro culture of endophytic fungi as a potential source of novel biologically active secondary metabolites Wojciech Szypuła1, Julia Budziszewska2, Daria Delbani1 1 Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, The Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Systematics and Plant Geography, University of Warsaw, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] An endophyte is a bacterial (including actinomycetes) or fungal microorganism, which spends the whole or part of its life cycle colonizing inter- and/or intra-cellular locations inside healthy tissues of the host plant, typically causing no apparent symptoms of disease (Hallmann et al., 1997; Tan and Zou, 2001). The endophytic population of a given species varies from several to a few hundred of bacterial and fungal strains. Endophytes can be isolated from mildly surface disinfected plant tissues and cultivated on nutrient agar (l.c). The relationship between the endophyte and its host plant may range from latent phytopathogenesis to mutualistic symbiosis. Almost all vascular plant species examined to date were found to harbor endophytic bacteria and/or fungi. Endophytes colonizing plant tissues usually get nutrition and protection from the host plant. In return, they profoundly enhance fitness of the host plants by producing certain functional metabolites. Primarily, endophytes can produce bioactive secondary compounds, such as alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, sesquiterpenes, isocumarin derivatives, phenylpropanoids, lignans and others (Tan and Zou, 2001). Moreover, endophytes can influence host's interactions with other species, altering plant community composition (Tan and Zou, 2001; Rudgers et al., 2004; Clay et al., 2005). As a poorly investigated store of microorganisms 'hidden' within the host plants, endophytes are obviously a rich and reliable source of bioactive and chemically novel compounds with huge medicinal and agricultural potential. For example, the advantage of production of some important phytochemicals such as paclitaxel and huperzine A in endophytes lies in the fact that it provides an alternative strategy for easing the impact of the growing human population on plants which are needed for the preservation of biodiversity and the ecosystem (Tan and Zou 2001; Szypuła et al., 2005, 2006). The aim of our investigation was to establish the culture of Huperzia selago endophytes that had been isolated from shoots and to perform their phytochemical analysis. After surface disinfection, shoot fragments were cut into 2 mm pieces and plated onto 4% potato-dextrose agar (PDA). Plates were incubated at room temperature for 10 weeks or until fungal growth was observed. The isolated fungi were transferred onto solid medium and incubated in the culture room at 25°C for 5 days. In order to determine the presence of secondary metabolites in the mycelium, HPLC-UV and HPLC-MS/MS-ESI analyses were performed in the positive ion mode. REFERENCES CLAY K, HOLAH J, RUDGERS JA. 2005. Herbivores cause a rapid increase in hereditary symbiosis and alter plant community composition. PNAS 102(35): 12465–12470. HALLMANN J, QUANDT-HALLMANN A, MAHAFFEE WF, KLOEPPER JW. 1997. Bacterial endophytes in agricultural crops. Canadian Journal of Microbiology 43: 895–914. RUDGERS JA, KOSLOW JM, CLAY K. 2004. Endophytic fungi alter relationships between diveristy and ecosystem properties. Ecology Letters 7: 42–51. SZYPUŁA W, PIETROSIUK A, SUCHOCKI P, OLSZOWSKA O, FURMANOWA M, KAZIMIERSKA O. 2005. Somatic embryogenesis and in vitro culture of Huperzia selago shoots as a potential source of huperzine A. Plant Science 168: 1443–1452. SZYPUŁA W, OLSZOWSKA O, FURMANOWA M. 2006. In vitro culture of Lycopodiaceae (club mosses). Botanical Guidebooks 29:163–175. TAN RX, ZOU WX. 2001. Endophytes: a rich source of functional metabolites. Natural Product Report 18: 448–459. Cytologial, cytometric and molecular characterization of gentian somatic hybrids Karolina Tomiczak, Jan J. Rybczyński Botanical Garden – Center for Biological Diversity Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Prawdziwka 2, 02-973 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] The aim of the presentation is to show and summarize the results obtained with the help of various methods, of somatic hybridization between selected species of Gentiana. In a breeding program, somatic hybridization can overcome sexual incompatibility through the somatic cell fusion. In contrast to sexual hybridization, after protoplast fusion all nuclear and cytoplasmic DNA from both parents are united in one individual. However, regeneration of plants from fused protoplasts is often accompanied by polyploidization and/or the elimination of genome parts of one or both fusion parents. Thus, detailed investigations are needed not only to confirm the hybrid status of regenerates, but also to exactly characterize their genome size and composition. 24 In interspecific somatic hybridization program involving Gentiana, numerous calli and plants were produced by electrofusion between G. kurroo Royle and G. cruciata L. as well as between G. cruciata and G. tibetica King protoplasts. Several methods, including flow cytometry, chromosome counting, stomatal characteristics and AFLP were applied for identification and description of the recovered somatic hybrids. Results of cytological and cytometric analyses revealed higher genome sizes and chromosome numbers of regenerates in comparison to parental species. Some evidence of polyploidy and mixoploidy as well as partial genome elimination was found. According to molecular data, hybrids showed differential levels of symmetry. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica ORAL PRESENTATIONS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Induction of tetraploids in hop (Humulus lupulus L.) using in vitro cultures Anna Trojak-Goluch, Anna Depta, Monika Agacka Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, State Research Institute, Czartoryskich 8, 24-100 Puławy, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) is a diploid, perennial plant whose secondary metabolites are used for brewing as well as in pharmaceutical industry. The Polish hop breeding programme centres around the generation of triploid cultivars which are superior to diploids because they produce more acid resins and essential oils. In the process of breeding triploids, diploid cultivars need to be raised to the tetraploid level (Koutoulis et al., 2005). In this study tetraploids were induced through culturing apical buds of Polish diploid cultivar Sybilla on liquid MS media containing three colchicine concentrations: 0.01%; 0.05%; 0.1%. Buds were incubated on an orbital shaker for 24h or 48h and then transferred to shoot multiplication medium. Flow cytometric analysis of ploidy level revealed that the highest induction of tetraploids was achieved with the exposure to 0.05% colchicine for 48h while the lowest with 0.01% colchicine for 48h. Out of 116 plants, 8.7% were found to be tetraploids whereas others were diploids (63.3%) and mixoploids (30.7%). Shoot internodes of mixoploids were selected and calli derived from shoots were obtained. Subculture of these calli on different regeneration media supplemented with indoleacetic acid (IAA) and several concentrations of cytokinins promoted shoot regeneration. The best caulogenic potential was achieved on medium with 0.5 mg/l IAA and 5 mg/l zeatin riboside. The regeneration rate was 42.9%. Plantlets were successfully rooted and transferred to the greenhouse. Individual plants were classified as mixoploids or tetraploids after screening by flow cytometry. This study provided a population of tetraploids that will be used in further hop breeding program. REFERENCE KOUTOULIS A, ROY AT, PRICES A, SHERIFF L, LEGGETT G. 2005. DNA ploidy level of colchicine- treated hops (Humulus lupulus). Scientia Horticuturae 105: 263–268 Is that really a step forward in protoplast culture of lupins? Alina Wiszniewska, Anna Pindel Department of Botany, Faculty of Horticulture, Agricultural University of Cracow, Al. 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Cracow, Poland, email: [email protected] Considering the agricultural importance of lupins, studies aiming at an expansion of the gene pool effectively contribute to the improvement of breeding programmes in the genus. Lupin species, both those commercially grown and their wild relatives, are considered to be recalcitrant to in vitro culture. On the other hand, some valuable characters may be successfully introduced into the plant genomes by means of such manipulations. Protoplast and single-cell culture could be suitable methods for overcoming interspecific barriers and for increasing the genetic variability of lupins. Comprehensive studies were undertaken to determine optimal conditions for yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L.) protoplast culture. The adapted procedure of isolation resulted in a high yield of protoplasts obtained from various explants. Cultivar 'Parys' proved to be the most promising material for manipulations. Various media and cul- Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 ture techniques were evaluated in terms of their usefulness in promoting survivability and morphogenetic responses of protoplasts. Medium solidification enhanced the development of cultures initiated from hypocotyls and cotyledons by significantly increasing the mitotic division rate. However, an unfavourable phenomenon appeared in both liquid and solid media: after first regular division daughter cells did not undergo consecutive mitoses. An important breakthrough in the development of cultures occurred in media supplemented with 0.1% activated charcoal. Overcoming the suppression of mitosis led to the formation of small aggregates from hypocotyl protoplasts. The noteworthy progress achieved here indicates that in spite of yellow lupin recalcitrance it is possible to obtain responsive cultures with a higher morphogenetic potential and thus provide new materials for exploitation in modern and sustainable agriculture. 25 ORAL PRESENTATIONS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Anti-mitotic agents in Salix viminalis polyploid plant induction Maria Katarzyna Wojciechowicz Department of General Botany, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] The genus Salix contains many economically important species used for energy, chemicals and fibers. In vitro polyploidization system of the species can be an essential step to generate variation for selection of desirable traits. In the present study, the potential of microtubule depolymerising agents trifluralin, pronamide (KERB), oryzalin amiprophos-methyl (AMP) and colchicine for in vitro genome doubling in S. viminalis clones was investigated. The mitotic inhibitors were dissolved in 2% dimethyl sulfoxide and added to MS medium with double concentration of Fe-EDTA. Embryos, shoots apices and axillary buds of the basket willow were exposed to various concentrations of the inhibitors for 1, 2, 3 and 6 days. The control test was performed with explants cul- tured on MS medium supplemented with 2% dimethyl sulfoxide. All cultures were kept under continuous light (cool white fluorescence lamps; 35 μmol quanta m-2 s-1) at 22±2°C. Flow cytometry was applied to estimate ploidy level. Artificially induced tetraploid plants from S. viminalis embryos were obtained on media supplemented with 0.025 and 0.05% colchicine, 0.1% trifluralin or 0.3% KERB when the treatment lasted two and three days. The highest efficiency of doubling chromosome numbers was achieved on medium supplemented with 7 % trifluralin. In cultures of shoots apices and axillary buds no tetraploids were detected. Oryzalin was very toxic for tested explants of S. viminalis even at a very low concentration (0.001%). The effect of genotype, explant type and medium on the regeneration of linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) in in vitro culture Andrzej Wojciechowski, Jowita Janowicz, Marzena Stanisławska Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71c, 60-625 Poznań, e-mail: [email protected] Linseed (Linum) belongs to the family Linaceae that comprises about 200 species. Most of them are wild and only a few, such as L. usitatissimum L., are cultivated. This work reports the results of studies on the regeneration capacities in in vitro cultures of two Linum usitatissimum cultivars: Modran and Selena. Cotyledon (3 different fragments), hypocotyl and hypocotyl-cotyledon explants of tested cultivars were obtained from 6-, 7- and 8-day old seedlings. They were cultured on MS basic and MS medium supplemented with 1mg l-1 2,4-D, NAA and BAP. The genotype, type of media and explant significantly affected the ability and direction of regeneration. Irrespective of the genotype and age of explants, the best formation of shoots was achieved from hypocotyl and hypocotyl-cotyledon explants cultured on MS control and MS+BAP media. The largest number of regenerated plants in the soil was obtained from 6-day old hypocotyl explants incubated on MS medium with BAP. There were no plants transferred to the soil from 8-day old hypocotyl 26 explants of both tested linseed cultivars. The addition of 2,4-D did not stimulate regeneration from most explants except for 6-day old hypocotyl-cotyledon explants of Modran cultivar which formed shoots. The callus formation and later the roots were the best on MS medium containing NAA irrespective of age of seedlings from which they were collected. Endogenous ethylene that accumulated in the culture vessels was likely responsible for stimulation or inhibition of regeneration. With respect to cotyledon and hypocotyl-cotyledon explants it caused them to turn yellow and consequently to die. However, it stimulated callus formation on hypocotyl explants. Explants from 6- and 7-day old seedlings showed a higher regeneration efficiency than 8-day old explants. Hypocotyl-cotyledon explants showed a better regeneration if they were harvested from 7-day old seedlings compared to 6 day old seedlings and as a result, a higher number of plants were transfered to the soil. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland ORAL PRESENTATIONS Agrobacterium – mediated genetic transformation of Gentiana tibetica King Anna Wójcik and Jan J. Rybczyński Botanical Garden – Center for Biological Diversity Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Prawdziwka 2, 02-973 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] The discovery of natural ability of bacteria from genus Agrobacterium to infect plants and to integrate bacterial genetic material into the plant genome opened a new chapter in contemporary plant experimental biology. For over 30 years Agrobacterium has been used in biotechnological laboratories all over the world (Vain, 2007) and Agrobacterium – mediated genetic transformation has became an indispensable genetic engineering tool. Species from genus Gentiana are valued as ornamental plants and material for isolation of pharmacologically active compounds (Skrzypczak et al., 1993). Their aesthetic and medicinal quality could be increased by a genetic transformation. The aim of our work was to develop an Agrobacterium – mediated transformation technique of Gentiana tibetica and to regenerate genetically modified plants. C58C1 Agrobacterium tumefa- ciens strain containing pDraGON-G:GFP vector was used (Wróblewski et al., 2005). On the basis of the experiments it was shown that genetic transformation of G. tibetica leaf explant cells took place only in the presence of L-glutamine in the medium. Transformation efficiency increased with its concentration. The most efficient regeneration of transgenic plants was observed on the WPM medium without any plant growth regulators. The transgenic character of tissues was determined on the basis of β-glucuronidase histochemical reaction. GUS activity was examined in transformed leaf explants, callus tissues and regenerated plants. PCR analysis of regenerants confirmed the transgene integration into plant genome while Agrobacterium contamination was excluded. Randomly selected plants were checked by Southern hybridization. Topophysis in adventitious shoot regeneration in vitro in Chrysanthemum Małgorzata Zalewska, Natalia Miler Department of Ornamental Plants and Vegetable Crops, Laboratory of Biotechnology, University of Technology and Life Sciences, Beranrdyńska 6, 85-029 Bydgoszcz, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Adventitious shoots originate from a single cell or several cells and therefore the adventitous shoots technique is widely applied in plant breeding e.g. for induction of mutagenesis, genetic transformation and separation of components of chimeras. The success of breeding programmes often depends on the regeneration efficiency. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of topophysical position of explants on the efficiency of adventitious shoot regeneration. Uniform single shoots of chrysanthemum 'Satinbleu' propagated in vitro and consisting of 12 nodes were divided equally into three topophysical zones: distal, central and proximal. Two leaves and two internodes were isolated from each zone. The explants were isolated from the distal end of the distal zone, the central portion of the central zone, and the proximal end of the proximal zone. Explants were cultured for 12 weeks on MS medium supplemented with 0.6 mg l-1 BAP and 2.0 mg l-1 IAA. The number of adventitious shoots and regenerating explants were recorded. Regeneration curves were plotted as a function of time. Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 Regeneration proceeded differently in leaves and internodes. Internodes produced almost four times more shoots than did leaves. Internodes excised from the distal and proximal zones were more efficient in shoot regeneration, while explants taken from the central zone produced the lowest number of adventitious shoots. Leaves isolated from the central zone produced eight times fewer shoots than did leaves taken from the distal zone, whereas leaves excised from the distal zone did not regenerate at all. The earliest formation of adventitious shoots was observed on internodes isolated from the distal zone, where it started in the third week and continued until the seventh week of culture and then declined. The regeneration curves for proximal internodes as well as for distal leaves were shifted by two weeks towards the regeneration curve for distal internodes. Due to the highest adventitious shoot regeneration capacity and the earliest formation of shoots, the best explants for chrysanthemum breeding programmes are internodes excised from distal parts of in vitro plantlets. 27 ORAL PRESENTATIONS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ The control of bacterial contaminations during in vitro shoot multiplication Marta Zawadzka1, Teresa Orlikowska1, Piotr Sobiczewski1, Artur Mikiciński1, Monika Sulikowska1, Elżbieta Zenkteler2 1 Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, Pomologiczna 18, 96-100 Skierniewice, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of General Botany, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań Multiannual tissue cultures can be contaminated by different bacteria that do not reveal themselves via symptoms in the medium or on the shoot explants. Such contaminations are often transferred to subsequent subcultures. During a two-year period we obtained a number of isolates belonging to 24 species of bacteria from cultures of hosta, rose, raspberry, elder, blackberry, anthurium, narcissus, apple rootstock and orchid. Their identification was based on phenotypic and molecular analyses. The most frequently isolated bacteria were Pseudomonas putida, Bacillus sp., Staphylococcus pasteuri, Methylobacterium lusitanum and Serratia marcescens. The following compounds or commercial products known to have bactericidal activity: dichloroisocyanuric acid (Aldrich), thymol oil (Riedel-deHaën), Triclosan (Irgasan, Fluka), PPM (Plant Cell Technology, Inc), Biosept 33SL (Cintamani), Biochicol 020 PC (Poly-Gumitex Farm), silver nitrate (Sigma), benzoic acid (Chempur), menthol oil (Fluka), Decaben C (Jan Dekker), acetylsalicylic acid (Duchefa) and Proclin 300 (Supelco) were added to the media on which selected isolates were inoculated. The growth of bacterial colonies was inhibited by Biosept, thymol oil, Triclosan and PPM. A small degree of inhibition or lack of growth was observed on media with silver nitrate, Biochicol, menthol oil, benzoic acid, acetylsalicylic acid, Decabenen C and Proclin 300. Concentrations of 0.5 and 1% were used to evaluate the phytotoxicity of the compounds. After 2–3 days on the media containing thymol oil or Triclosan, explants from all of the tested cultures died. Phytotoxic effects of Decaben C were observed for cultures of apple rootstocks, strawberry, raspberry and hosta, but it did not affect the growth and development of gerbera explants. No phytotoxicity symptoms were observed after the application of PPM and Biosept at concentrations of 0.5 and 1%. The next step was the use of bactericides in shoot cultures artificially contaminated with the studied bacteria. Silver nitrate, Biosept, Decaben C, PPM and Proclin 300 were added to multiplication cultures of strawberry, hosta and gerbera. The most effective treatment against all tested bacteria in gerbera cultures was Proclin 300 at 0.05%. In cultures infected with Bacillus sp. or Methylobacterium lusitanum, the growth of bacteria was inhibited by 0.3% PPM, 0.05% Decaben C, 1% AgNO3 and 0.5% Biosept. In hosta cultures, only Decaben C was not effective when cultures were contaminated with Pseudomonas putida. No signs of bacterial presence were recorded in cultures of strawberry supplemented with Proclin 300 (0.05%), AgNO3 (0.5–1%) and Biosept (0.1–0.5%). In cultures contaminated with Methylobacterium lusitanum, only PPM at 0.3% was effective. The bacteriostatic effect lasted for 4 weeks. Application of nanomaterials to fight and prevent bacteria in vitro Elżbieta Zenkteler1, Piotr Sobiczewski2, Teresa Orlikowska2, Krzysztof Langer3, Jerzy Langer3 1Department of General Botany, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, A. Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań 2 Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, Pomologiczna 18, 96-100 Skierniewice 3 Laboratory for Materials Physicochemistry and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, A. Mickiewicz University, Grunwaldzka 10, 63-100 Śrem Nowadays, among the most promising nanomaterials that have revealed antibacterial properties are the nanosized metal particles and nanotubes of polypyrrole (Ppy) or protoneated polyaniline (PAni) (Xia et al., 2004; Srivastava et al., 2007). In the present study we report the effectiveness of nanosilver (NS) particles sized 5–10 nm against Microbacterium strains during micropropagation of Alocasia sanderiana. Contaminated explants were dipped in 50, 100 and 200 mg l-1 solutions of NS. Results of the treatment recorded after one month of culture on modified MS medium showed a high number of decontaminated explants without any adverse effect on their growth characteristics. We also investigated the activity of polyaniline fixed directly onto filter paper by 28 electrochemical oxidative polymerization against Microbacterium. We showed that A. sanderiana cultured in liquid MS medium on bridges of filter paper coated with the conducting polymers were decontaminated and developed without any visible symptoms of bacteria in comparison to the control. REFERENCES SRIVASTAVA S, BERA T, ROY A, SINGH G, RAMACHANDRARO P, DASH D. 2007. Characterization of enhanced antibacterial effects of novel silver nanoparticles. Nanotechnology 8: 424081–424090. XIA H, CHAN H, XIAO CH, CHENG D. 2004. Self-assembled oriented conducting polianiline nanotubes. Nanotechnology 15: 1807–1811. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland ORAL PRESENTATIONS Some remarks on the application of in vitro techniques to manipulation of sexual reproduction of plants Maciej Zenkteler Department of General Botany, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, A. Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, The in vitro culture conditions enable researchers to control and modify the processes of pollination, fertilization and the course of embryogenesis in seed plants. Technological development and the improvement of various procedures make it possible not only to obtain a deeper knowledge about sexual reproduction but, in particular, to provide strategies to transfer this knowledge into crop improvement. Sophisticated techniques are now available to manipulate the female and male organs, thus allowing to introduce new genetic material into breeding lines. The presented lecture will be based on investigations carried out in our laboratory. It will mainly summarize those achievements that concern wide hybridization among various species. Application of androgenesis in basic research and breeding of cereals Janusz Zimny1, Sylwia Oleszczuk1, Andrzej Z. Czaplicki1, Henryk Woś2, Janusz Kozdój1, Sławomir Sowa1, Piotr Bednarek1 1 2 Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute, Radzików, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] HR Strzelce Sp. z o.o. Grupa IHAR The techniques for obtaining double haploids opened up an opportunity for practical breeding to obtain, in a short time, homozygotic lines possessing alleles of genes in the recessive form. The first varieties of wheat that were obtained by anther culture appeared on the markets in China and France in the 80-ties. Later, the more sophisticated method of isolated microspore cultures has been applied. Microspore culture allows for examination of large numbers of cells in a small area and in a short period of time as well as the selection of cell lines with the desired characteristics. On the basis of many laboratories' reports and the subsequent publications on the issue, there has emerged a hierarchy among cereal crops in terms of their morphogenetic capacity in anther cultures. In this respect, rye and oat have always been considered the most difficult to regenerate, while wheat was found to be less recalcitrant Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 and barley and triticale the least. One can observe a growing interest in homozygotic lines among scientists and breeders. They can be used in basic research as a "clean" material and in experimental plant breeding to obtain lines whose offspring does not segregate. On the other hand, double haploid lines are a source of variation because each microspore, which is a source of regenerated homozygotic line has a certain set of gene alleles that can appear important in the breeding process. For this reason, breeding of cereals in many countries in recent years has been based mainly on double haploids. Polish breeding companies slowly start to follow in the steps of foreign breeding companies, who have been using that method. Based on our experience we may even risk the statement that in vitro induced androgenesis is the most efficient biotechnological method, used in practical breeding. 29 ORAL PRESENTATIONS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Increase of bioactive compounds in flax plants overexpressing enzymes of flavonoid synthesis pathway Magdalena Żuk, Jan Szopa Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Flavonoids are a group of secondary plant metabolites important for plant growth and development. They are also well known as very effective antioxidants with a major significance for human health. We obtained flavonoid-rich plants using two strategies. The first strategy involved a simultaneous overexpression of three genes of flavonoid synthesis (chalcone synthase, chalcone isomerase and dihydroflavonol reductase) and the second strategy consisted in overexpression of the broad substrate specificity enzyme glucose transferase. Both groups of plants had increased levels of phenylopropanoid compounds important for the antioxidant potential, such as kaempferol, quercetin, phenolic acids, poli-unsaturated fatty acids and lignans. Because the constitutive promoter (CaMV 35S) was used for modification, the positive changes were observed in the entire plant body – green parts and seeds. Flax seeds are a very good source of the plant lignan precursor secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), which is metabolised by bacteria in the colon to produce the mammalian lignans enterolacton and enterodiol. Lignans inhibit cell proliferation and growth, which makes these 30 compounds potential anticancer agents (in hormon-sensitive cancers). In our transgenic plants a significant increase of SDG level (up to 30-fold) was noticed. A dramatic increase of ferulic acid level (about 40 fold) was also observed. The high level of lignans was also found in seedcakes – the residual material left after pressing of oil from linseed of transgenic plants. For this reason, seedcake obtained from flavonoid-rich plants should be use as a very good source of bioactive compounds. A significantly higher level of antioxidants was also detected in oil from transgenic plants. Remarkably, such oil is rich of poli-unsaturated fatty acids and the ratio of ω6/ω3 was close to that recommended by FAO/WHO for optimal human diet. The presence of antioxidants in this oil also resulted in increased unsaturated acid stability. Flax fibers obtained from transgenic plants on a semitechnical scale have increased contents of many bioactive phenylopropanoids such as a phenolic acids and lignans. In fibers we also identified canabidiol – a compound that can reduce pain. For this reason fabrics produced from these fibers may be recommended as wound dressing. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Micropropagation of Plantago coronopus L. Emilia Andrzejewska-Golec, Joanna Makowczyńska Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Łódź, Muszyńskiego 1, 90-151 Łódź, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Buckhorn plantain Plantago coronopus L. (Plantaginaceae) is a vanishing species in Poland, belonging to the "critically endangered" category in Polish Red Data Book of Plants, and subject to an active protection (Ministry of Environment's Directive, 9 July 2004). To our knowledge there is no information in literature about in vitro culture of this taxon. However, some other species in the genus Plantago were studied in in vitro culture (Andrzejewska-Golec and Makowczyńska, 2008; Budzianowska et al., 2004; Makowczyńska and Andrzejewska-Golec, 2003; 2009). We propagated Plantago coronopus from different explants of 4-week-old seedlings. Murashige and Skoog basal medium, supplemented with indole-3-acetic acid with various concentrations of cytokinin 6-benzyladenine (0.2; 1; 2 or 5 mg/dm3) was used. After 6 weeks of culture, micropropagation rates were calculated. The plants obtained as a result of micropropagation were not phenotypically changed. Our study proved that Plantago coronopus was amenable to propagation in vitro. This method may have significance for protection of this plantain. REFERENCES ANDRZEJEWSKA-GOLEC E, MAKOWCZYŃSKA J. 2008. Micropropagation of Plantago camtschatica Link. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 77: 269–273. BUDZIANOWSKA A, SKRZYPCZAK L, BUDZIANOWSKI J. 2004. Phenylethanoid glucosides from in vitro propagated plants and callus cultures of Plantago lanceolata. Planta Medica 70: 834–840. MAKOWCZYŃSKA J, ANDRZEJEWSKA-GOLEC E. 2003. Micropropagation of Plantago asiatica L. through culture of shoot-tips. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 72: 191–194. MAKOWCZYŃSKA J, ANDRZEJEWSKA-GOLEC E. 2009. Micropropagation of Plantago maritima L. – a vanishing species in Poland. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 78: 13–18. In vitro cultures of embryonic axes of Lupinus mutabilis and L. albus Małgorzata Arendt, Renata Galek, Ewa Sawicka-Sienkiewicz Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Seed Production, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences; Plac Grunwaldzki 24 A, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Lupine plants are difficult to cultivate under in vitro conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the regeneration ability of embryonic axes of two L. mutabilis genotypes (KW 7/01/05 and KW 10/01/05) and one L. albus cultivar Butan. Seeds were surface sterilized in a commercial bleach (Domestos). Having removed the seed coat, embryonic axes with cotyledons were additionally disinfected in Citrosept solution. Explants were divided into two groups: embryonic axes with cotyledon fragments and axes without cotyledons. All explants were placed on B5 medium supplemented with different types and combinations of growth regulators. The following concentrations 32 and types of growth regulators were used: 3.0 mg/L BA, 3.0 mg/L 2iP, 3.0 mg/L BA + 0.2 mg/L NAA and 3.0 mg/L 2iP + 0.2 mg/L IAA. After six weeks of culture, length of roots, hypocotyls and stem height of regenerated plantlets were measured. The number of leaves was also counted. The highest mean stem length (5.01 cm) was observed in Butan on B5 medium containing 3.0 mg/L 2iP + 0.2 mg/L IAA. The largest leaf number was found in KW 10/01/05 (6.25) on B5 medium containing 3.0 mg/L BA + 0.2 mg/L NAA. The above results were recorded on explants with cotyledon fragments. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland The effect of the exogenous phenolic compound, caffeic acid on organogenesis in Galanthus elwesii Hook. cultured in vitro Anna Bach1, Bożena Pawłowska1, Katarzyna Hura2 1 Department of Ornamental Plants, Agricultural University of Cracow, Al. 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Cracow, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Plant Physiology, Agricultural University of Cracow, Podłużna 3, 30-239 Cracow Phenolic compounds belong to secondary metabolites whose function in plants is unknown. Caffeic acid is a simple phenolic compound, a phenylpropene derivative, with two -OH groups, that inhibits IAA oxidase and, therefore, is considered to be an auxin cofactor. The aim of the present experiments was to determine the effect of exogenous caffeic acid on organogenesis (formation of roots, bulbs, leaves) in giant snowdrop in in vitro cultures. Bulb explants obtained from plants multiplied by adventitious buds were placed on MS (1962) media containing 3% sucrose, growth regulators BA and IAA (0.1–1.0 μM) and caffeic acid at 0, 100 and 500 mg/dm3. The cultures were maintained in the dark at 23/25°C. Observation of the regeneration process revealed that exogenous caffeic acid at the optimal concentration (500 mg/dm3) completely inhibited shoot regeneration and leaf and roof formation by significantly decreasing the number of the organs formed and their browning. It also reduced bulb fresh mass growth. A five-fold lower dose of exogenous caffeic acid in the medium inhibited only adventitious root elongation and caused explant browning. Analysis of the content of phenolic compounds in tissues and organs of giant snowdrop showed that the contents were diverse and depended on developmental stage and reproduction conditions. It was demonstrated that exogenous caffeic acid reduced the total content of phenolic compounds in regenerating plants from in vitro cultures, independently of cytokinin and auxin concentration in the medium. The highest content of phenolic compounds was observed in the control bulbs originated from plants growing in the open air, in basal plate (1723 μg/g fresh weight). Bulbs formed in vitro on control media were characterized by a similar content of phenolic compounds in inner and middle scales (247 μg/g fresh weight) though it was lower than in bulbs grown in the open air. The level of phenolic compounds was significantly lower in bulbs formed in the presence of 100 and 500 mg/dm3 caffeic acid (80 and 30 μg/g fresh weight, respectively). It is suggested that the content of phenolic compounds can be a biological quality marker in cultures of plants reproduced by in vitro techniques. REFERENCES TILLY-MANDY A, JAMBOR-BENCZUR E, SZABO J. 2006. Results with the micropropagation of Galanthus elwesii and Galanthus nivalis 'Flore Pleno'. Acta Horticulturae 725: V International Symposium on in vitro Culture and Horitcultural Breeding: 439–444. SINGLETON VS, ROSSI JA JR. 1965. Colorimetry of total phenolics with phosphomolybdic-phosphotungstic acid reagent. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture 16: 144–157. Changes in terpenoid level after Fusarium treatment in flax Aleksandra Boba, Anna Kulma, Kamil Kostyn, Jan Szopa Department of Genetic Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63/77, 51-148 Wrocław, e-mail: [email protected] Terpenoids are a group of both primary and secondary plant metabolites playing important roles in plant growth and survival (gibberellic acid, chlorophyll, carotenoids). They are involved in responses to stress situations such as pathogen infection (tocopherol). But these compounds are also very important in the human diet because they can protect against many civilization-related diseases, such as cancer (lycopen, squalene). The understanding of synthesis pathway is important for genetic manipulation of levels Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 of terpenoids in plants. Even though the pathway is well known in model plants, in Linum those genes have not been identified. Using degenerated primers we found 16 sequences of major terpenoid synthesis genes in flax (Linum usitatissimum var. Nike). We used those sequences to verify the level of expression of terpenoid genes after a Fusarium treatment. This knowledge will be used for creation of plants with terpenoid levels beneficial for human health. 33 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Expression of HBV core antigen (HBcAg) in transgenic tobacco and lettuce for purposes of therapeutic vaccine against hepatitis B Maria Bogusiewicz, Tomasz Pniewski Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland, e -mail: [email protected], [email protected] Hepatitis B is the most common infectious liver disease in the world, with it's prevalence at 2 billion people infected worldwide and 400 million chronically infected. Hepatitis B is the main factor inducing hepatocellular carcinoma and one of the most important factors causing the cirrhosis. For the reasons of inefficiency and difficulty of today's expensive anti-viral therapies using INF-α or antiviral drugs such as Lamivudin, Adefovir, etc., many scientists work on new therapies against Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), such as therapeutic vaccines, consisting of HBcAg (Hepatitis B core Antigen). The aim of the study was to analyze the expression of HBcAg in transgenic plants of tobacco and lettuce for purposes of defining appropriate conditions for efficient expression and selecting plants with high HBcAg level for further work on therapeutic vaccine for chronic HBV car- riers, and also finding the best method of isolation of HBcAg from plant tissue. The transgenic plants revealed 1–5 copies of T-DNA integrated into genomic DNA, which were stably inherited. Expression of native HBcAg, probably assembled into highly immunogenic Capsid-Like Particles (CLPs), was confirmed by ELISA assay and western-blot. Observed level of HBcAg – up to 400 μg/g FW, displayed a relative stability during plant development and in sequential generations. Selected plants can be used for further research on HBcAg assembly into CLPs in plant cells and animal immunization studies with plant-associated HBcAg. In the outlook, the plants obtained by us can be exploited as an initial material to produce therapeutic vaccine for chronic HBV carriers, orally administrated when produced in lettuce, and injective, when produced in tobacco. Phenolic compounds in shoot and callus cultures of Plantago ovata Forssk. Anna Budzianowska, Jaromir Budzianowski Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Plant Biotechnology, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Św. Marii Mgdaleny 14, Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Plantago ovata Forssk. (Plantaginaceae) is native to flora of S.E. Spain, N. Africa, S.W. Asia. It is cultivated for seeds and seed husks, which are commercially important laxative remedies due to the high content of mucilage. The species is propagated from seeds and does not have the ability for vegetative propagation. In vitro regeneration of P. ovata through induction of axillary shoots, indirect organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis have been described (Fons et al., 2008). So far, only seeds of P. ovata have been studied with respect to phenolic metabolites demonstrating the presence of two flavonoids and two phenethyl glycosides (Nishibe et al., 2001). The aim of the present work was to establish shoot and callus cultures of P. ovata and to investigate their phenolic compound pattern. Micropropagation from shoot-tips of seedlings was carried out on MS medium supplemented with NAA/KIN or IAA/KIN and resulted in only 2–3 axillary shoots per explant. No shoots developed through direct organogenesis on leaf and root fragments, in contrast to Plantago lanceolata. Callus initiation was readily achieved on roots, leaves and hypocotyls on MS medium supplemented with 2,4-D/Kin or NAA/BAP, however, growth of callus cultures was poor. Therefore, a reduction of NH4NO3 con- 34 tent in the medium was tested, which appeared useful in the case of callus cultures of P. lanceolata (Budzianowska et al., 2004). Extracts from shoot and callus cultures and from seeds of P.ovata were prepared and analysed by 1D-TLC and 2D-TLC. The shoots and callus exhibited the presence of phenethyl glycosides (similarly to seeds), while shoots additionally contained flavonoids different from those of the seeds and leaves of P. lanceolata (Budzianowski and Budzianowska, 2008). REFERENCES BUDZIANOWSKA A, SKRZYPCZAK L, BUDZIANOWSKI J. 2004. Phenylethanoid glucosides from in vitro propagated plants and callus cultures of Plantago lanceolata L. Planta Medica 70: 834–840. BUDZIANOWSKI J, BUDZIANOWSKA A. 2008. Improved analytical and preparative separation of Plantago lanceolata L. flavonoid glucuronides using mobile phases with ionic modifiers. 6th Int. Symp. Chromatogr. Nat. Prod., Lublin (Poland), June 15–18. Abstracts. p. 51. FONS F, GARGADENNEC A, RAPIOR S. 2008. Culture of Plantago species as bioactive components resources: a 20-year review and recent applications. Acta Biologica Gallica 155: 277–300. NISHIBE S, KODAMA A, NOGUCHI Y, HAN Y. 2001. Phenolic compounds of Plantago ovata and P. psyllium. Natural Medicines 55: 258–261. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland The use of pollen tube in vitro cultures for determination of nuclei positions in angiosperm pollen tubes Marta Bultrowicz, Rafał Mól Department of General Botany, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Appropriate sperm cell delivery to the embryo sac is one of the crucial step of fertilization in flowering plants, and it determines reproductive success of a plant. Mechanisms of sperm cell transport during pollen tube growth are not fully understood. The concept of male germ unit (MGU) is a very attractive hypothesis on sperm cell transport within the pollen tube (Mogensen, 1992). However, MGU has been described for sperm cells or generative cells and the vegetative nucleus only for ten or so angiosperms, and in some cases the spatial relationship between sperms or generative cell and the vegetative nucleus were temporal only and found either in pollen grain or pollen tube. Here we claimed to determine the position of the vegetative and generative nuclei in the pollen tubes of lily, hyacinth, and common snowdrop. Pollen grains germinated on Brewbaker-Kwack media optimized for each species and pollen tubes were growing in vitro for 24 or 48 hours. The vegetative and generative nuclei were visualized by various dyes, and the ethidium bromide staining of fixed pollen tubes was chosen for major analyses. Nuclear position related to the pollen tube tip showed great variability in three species studied. No general model on vegetative nucleus guidance could be established for each species, and only in one culture variant per species the vegetative nucleus was ahead of the generative nucleus in the pollen tube (statistically significant). Also the distance between both nuclei in pollen tubes was variable within each species. This suggests that MGU could only be temporal in the pollen tubes growing in vitro or culture conditions affected the MGU formation in many pollen tubes. Based on nuclear position analyses, the approximate region of nuclei appearance was approx. 50% or 35% length of 48-hour-old pollen tubes. In vitro cultures of pollen tubes can be used for MGU investigation in plants, however, the results should be compared to the in planta situation. REFERENCES MOGENSEN HL. 1992. The male germ unit:concept, composition, and significance. Inernational Review of Cytology 140: 129–143. Molecular analysis of interspecific Allium cepa × A. roylei hybrids Alicja Chuda, Adela Adamus Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Seed Science, Agricultural University of Cracow, Al. 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] To achieve introgression of resistance to downy mildew (Peronospora destructor) into the bulb onion, interspecific crosses between Allium cepa and Allium roylei were conducted. F1 A. cepa × A. roylei plants were obtained via embryo rescue technique (Chuda and Adamus, 2005). Verification of the hybrid character of the F1 regenerants was based on three different molecular markers. SIRF/SIR-R and ACS-F/ACS-R primers were based on AY753557 and AY585678 onion cDNA clones, respectively, while A-F/A-R primers were designed on the basis on Allium cepa alliinase gene according to van Heusden et al. (2000). Analysis of the electrophoretic profiles of the Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 examined accessions revealed that 97.6% of the tested F1 plants were interspecific Allium cepa × Allium roylei hybrids. REFERENCES CHUDA A, ADAMUS A. 2005. Allium cepa x Allium roylei hybrids – production and identification. Allium Improvement Newsletter 15: 49–51. VAN HEUSDEN AW, VAN OOIJEN JW, VRIELINK-VAN GINKEL R, VERBEEK WHJ, WIETSMA WA, KIK C. 2000. A genetic map of an interspecific cross in Allium based on amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLPTM) markers. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 100: 118–126. 35 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Two year survey of health status of Salix × Populus hybrids in the Warmia region Joanna Ciszewska-Marciniak1, Małgorzata Jędryczka1, Jerzy Przyborowski2, Elżbieta Zenkteler3 1 Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznań Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Production, University of Varmia and Mazury, Olsztyn 3 Department of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań 2 Recently willows have become increasingly popular as crop plants used for renewable energy (providing an alternative to fossil fuels). However, they require abundant water supply during the whole growth period. To avoid this problem, hybrids between willows and poplars have been produced at the Department of Botany, Faculty of Biology of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Leaf rust is the most common and serious disease of both willows and poplars. The disease is caused by several species of the genus Melampsora. Willows and poplars are infected by different ranges of Melampsora species and also by various special forms and pathotypes, each capable of infecting a certain range of species and geno- types. The aim of this study was to investigate the resistance of hybrids obtained from the crossings between Salix viminalis and Populus tremula. Field experiment was located in Bałdy, near Olsztyn in Warmia region (north-east Poland). Observations were conducted over a two year period (2008–2009). Each year, the first observation took place in July/August and the second in September/October. All studied hybrids (six genotypes) were infested with willow rust, similarly to parental plants. Identification of Melampsora spp. isolates obtained from the infected plants is under way using pathogenicity tests and molecular tools. Albino regenerants from isolated microspores of wheat Andrzej Z. Czaplicki, Sylwia Oleszczuk, Janusz Zimny Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute, Radzików, 05-870 Błonie, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Significant progress has been observed in recent years in the development of culture techniques of isolated cereal microspores. One can expect a considerable improvement in the efficiency of haploid plant regeneration due to the highly embryogenic nature of microspores and a short path of the culture. The purposes of the experiments were: to induce the androgenic development of microspores isolated using a blender, to produce embryos and to regenerate plants. Microspores of wheat spring variety Pitic 62 were isolated using the method described by Zheng (Zheng et al., 2001, 2002) and then grown in the dark at 26°C. Isolated ovaries of spring wheat variety Orofen were used as a 36 nurse culture. Microspore divisions and further embryo development were observed. As a result of the experiment, five albino plants have been regenerated so far. REFERENCES ZHENG MY, LIU W, WENG Y, POLLE E, KONZAK CF. 2001. Culture of freshly isolated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) microspores treated with inducer chemicals. Plant Cell Reports 20: 685–690. ZHENG MY, WENG Y, LIU W, KONZAK CF. 2002. The effect of ovaryconditioned medium on microspore embryogenesis in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Plant Cell Reports 20: 802–807. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Optimization of the regeneration method of Miscanthus × giganteus in in vitro culture Diana Czarnecka, Anna Czubacka, Teresa Doroszewska Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation – State Research Institute, Czartoryskich 8, Puławy, e-mail: [email protected] Miscanthus × giganteus Greef & Deuter is a triploid hybrid species belonging to the family Poaceae. This species is characterized by a fast biomass increase, because its shoots can growth up to 3 meters in height in the second year of cultivation. Therefore miscanthus can be used as a source of biomass for the energy industry, in phytoremediation and also in the paper industry. Under our climatic conditions Miscanthus x giganteus does not set seeds and the best methods for its propagation are multiple division of the rhizome and propagation in vitro. The objective of the present experiment was to develop a method of obtaining regeneration of Miscanthus × giganteus plants under in vitro conditions. Inflorescence explants (0.5–2.5 cm in length), internodes, fragments of leaves and rhizomes were the research material. They were sterilized using 10% hydrogen peroxide. Three basic media were used: MG1 (LS medium containing 5 mg l-1 2,4 D and 0.1 mg l-1 BAP), MG2 (LS medium with 2.5 mg l-1 2,4 D and 0.5 mg l-1 BAP) and MG3 (WPM medium enriched with 2.5 mg l-1 2,4 D and 0.5 mg l-1 BAP). The experiment was conducted both in the light and in the dark. Regenerated plants were transferred to LS medium supplemented with 0.2 mg l-1 IAA and 0.2 mg l-1 NAA. Callus was not observed on explants maintained in the dark or on fragments of leaves and rhizomes kept in the light. The most suitable explants for callus induction and plant regeneration were fragments of inflorescences. Less abundant callus tissue was observed on internodes, from which only a few plants regenerated. On the remaining explants neither callus formation nor organogenesis were noticed. The largest numbers of regenerated plants were obtained on MG1 and MG3 media. They were rooted and acclimated to greenhouse conditions. REFERENCES LINSMAYER EM, SKOOG F. 1965. Organic growth factor requirements of tobacco tissue cultures. Physiologia Plantarum 18: 100–127. (LS medium) LLOYD G, MCCOWN B. 1980. Commercially feasible micropropagation of mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia, by use of shoot-tip culture. Comb. Proc. Int. Plant Prop. Soc. 30: 421–427. (WPM medium) Changes in sulfur amino acid contents in flax caused by overexpression of yeast Met25 gene lead to an increase in antioxidant capacity and Fusarium resistance Tadeusz Czuj, Magdalena Żuk, Jan Szopa Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63–77, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Cysteine synthesis in plants is the crucial point in sulfate assimilation. It introduces inorganic sulfide into the carbon skeleton. In plants and bacteria, this reaction is catalyzed by O-acetyloserine sulfhydrylase (OASTL) with free sulfide and O-acetyloserine (OAS) as the substrates. In the present study we use Sacharomyces cerevisiae gene Met25 encoding O-acetyloseine-O-acetylohomoserine-sulphydrylase, yeasts analogue of plant OASTL protein in flax. The yeast enzyme utilizes both O-acetylhomoserine and, as discovered in in vitro experiments, O-acetylserine as substrates, while the plant enzyme uses only Oacetylserine as its substrate in cysteine biosynthesis (Matityahu et al., 2006). An important difference between the plant OASTL and its yeast analogue is that the plant enzyme has an additional activity: it is able to degrade cysteine to ammonia, H2S and pyruvate (Riemenschneider et al., 2005). The yeast enzyme does not seem to be able to do this (Matityahu et al., 2006; Harms et al., 2000; Sirko et al., 2004), thus we expect to have an increased production of cysteine and it's derivatives in flax. Overexpressing the yeast Met25 in flax resulted in a significant increase in Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 cysteine and methionine biosynthesis. This overproduction of sulfur amino acids also increases the synthesis of glutathione, a tripeptide containing cysteine. The increase in glutathione content in the transgenic plants increases their antioxidative potential. We also observed improvements in plants' protection against Fusarium infection. REFERENCES HARMS K, BALLMOOS, PV, BRUNOLD C, HÖFGEN R, HESSE H. 2000. Expression of a bacterial serine acetyltransferase in transgenic potato plants leads to increased levels of cysteine and glutathione. The Plant Journal 22: 335–343. MATITYAHU I, KACHAN L, BAR ILAN I, AMIR R. 2006. Transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing the Met25 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae exhibit enhanced levels of cysteine and glutathione and increased tolerance to oxidative stress. Amino Acids 30: 185–194. RIEMENSCHNEIDER A, RIEDEL K, HOEFGEN R, PAPENBROCK J, HESSE H. 2005. Impact of reduced O-acetylserine(thiol)lyase isoform contents on potato plant metabolism. Plant Physiology 137: 892–900. SIRKO A, BLASZCZYK A, LISZEWSKA F. 2004. Overproduction of SAT and/or OASTL in transgenic plants: a survey of effects. Journal of Experimental Botany 55: 1881–1888. 37 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Phytosulfokine stimulates development of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) mesophyll protoplasts Joanna Durok, Ewa Grzebelus, Marek Szklarczyk Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Seed Science, Faculty of Horticulture, Agricultural University of Cracow, Al. 29-Listopada 54, 31-425 Cracow, e-mail: [email protected] Phytosulfokine (PSK) is a peptide plant growth factor that was originally isolated from a conditioned medium derived from asparagus mesophyll cell culture (Matsubayashi and Sakagami, 1996). In some plant species PSK was found to stimulate cell proliferation (Matsubayashi, 2003). On the other hand, so called "recalcitrant species" are known, that are difficult either to regenerate using tissue culture methods and/or to transform with foreign DNA. Sugar beet is such a recalcitrant crop, particularly with respect to protoplast-based techniques. The aim of this work was to determine phytosulfokine influence on the division activity of sugar beet protoplasts. We tested 3 clones of sugar beet male-sterile line growing in 2 different culture media (CPP with 8 mg/l putrescine and 2.12 mg/l propyl gallate; CPP with 8 mg/l putrescine, 2.12 mg/l propyl gallate, Kao and Michayluk vitamins and 2 % coconut water) with 2 concentrations of phytosulfokine (10-7 and 10-8 M). Viability of protoplasts was determined by fluorescein diacetate (FDA) staining on the day of isolation as well as 24 and 48 hours after isolation. Cell proliferation activity was evaluated on 7th, 14th and 21st days of culture. There were no differences in viability of protoplasts between media and PSK concentrations. Cell division activity was dependent on both medium composition and PSK concentration. The highest division frequency was observed in CPP containing 8 mg/l putrescine, 2.12 mg/l propyl gallate and 10-7 M PSK. It varied from 13.9 to 29.1% on 21st day of culture whereas in the same medium containing 10-8 M PSK, proliferation efficiency reached approximately 6%. In no-PSK control, proliferation efficiency varied between 0.1 and 2.6%. This result indicates that PSK strongly stimulates the division of sugar beet mesophyll protoplasts under cell culture conditions. REFERENCES MATSUBAYASHI Y. 2003. Ligand-receptor pairs in plant peptide signaling. Journal of Cell Science 116: 3863–3870. MATSUBAYASHI Y, SAKAGAMI Y. 1996. Phytosulfokine, sulfated peptides that induce the proliferation of single mesophyll cells of Asparagus officinalis L. Proceedings National Academy of Sciences USA 93: 7623–7627. Gentiana cachemirica Decne in in vitro culture Katarzyna Floryanowicz-Czekalska1,2, Jan J. Rybczyński1 1 Botanical Garden – Center for Biological Diversity Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Prawdziwka 2, 02-973 Warsaw, Poland, email: [email protected], [email protected] 2 Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Medical University of Łódź, Mazowiecka 6/8, 92-215 Łódź Most species from genus Gentiana described so far are protected by law in Poland. They are valued because of important secondary metabolites and attractive flowers. They are also well known for possessing a high morphogenetic potential in vitro. The above characteristics have made this genus very attractive for breeding. Micropropagation through somatic embryogenesis is an alternative pathway to the conventional breeding methods for the propagation of gentians. Up to now it has been described for only a few species of the genus. In the present study, extensive experiments with G. cachemirica, a new in vitro Gentiana species are 38 reported. Callus tissue derived from seedling explants was used as a source for the cell suspension. The morphological potential of the culture expressed by its embryogenic capacity was assessed by counting the number of somatic embryos on agar regeneration medium and by their ability to become converted into plants. Long-term culture brings about the risk of somaclonal variation. Two techniques were evaluated to perform cytological analysis of the regenerants. Chromosome counting was carried out on well spread metaphase plates. DNA content was determined using a flow cytometer. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Rooting in vitro and acclimation to the greenhouse of herbaceous peony plantlets Eleonora Gabryszewska1, Ludwika Kawa-Miszczak2 1 Department of Physiology and Morphogenesis of Ornamental Plants, Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, Pomologiczna 18, 96-100 Skierniewice, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Food Safety Laboratory, Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, Pomologiczna 18, 96-100 Skierniewice, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] The influence of sucrose concentration (10 and 30 g l-1), low level of nitrogen salts (1/8 KNO3, 1/8 NH3NO4), auxins (1 mg l-1 IBA + 1 mg l-1 IAA + 0.01 mg l-1 NAA) and temperature (15°C, 20°C) on the rooting in vitro and acclimation to the greenhouse conditions of two cultivars ('Jadwiga' and 'Profesor Wójcicki') of Paeonia lactiflora was investigated. The level of endogenous carbohydrates in the peony shoots and roots during the rooting and acclimation phases were analysed. Rooting and acclimation success rates were higher for cultivar 'Profesor Wójcicki' than for cultivar 'Jadwiga'. Also more roots were produced by shoots of cultivar 'Profesor Wójcicki'. The presence of auxins in the medium and the higher concentration of sucrose (30 g l-1) stimulated a greater number of roots/shoot. On the other hand, a higher rooting rate was found on the auxin-free medium in the presence of high level of sucrose. The shoots of 'Profesor Wojcicki' rooted best when cultured at 20°C, but shoots of 'Jadwiga' rooted best at the lower temperature (15°C). During the rooting stage, the major sugars detected in the peony microplants were sucrose, glucose and fructose. After four weeks of acclimation, plantlets accumulated starch and showed a strong inhibition of shoot growth, and dormant buds were developed. Expression pattern of ABH1, CBP20 and HYL1 genes during somatic embryogenesis in Arabidopsis Marta Gliwicka, Małgorzata D. Gaj Department of Genetics, University of Silesia, Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland [email protected]; [email protected] Genetic dissection of somatic embryogenesis (SE) is of great interest since the process is commonly applied for plant regeneration in transgenesis and micropropagation. Identification of genes involved in embryogenic transition of somatic cells is of interest for the improvement of the existing protocols on plant regeneration, including those for recalcitrant plants. Arabidopsis mutants impaired in SE provide valuable material in the search for SE-specific genes (Gaj et al., 2006). Among such SE-defective genotypes, the ABA-response (abh1, cbp20 and hyl1) and auxin-response (axr4-1) mutants were found, implicating the involvement of the mutated genes in the process of somatic embryo formation. The ABH1 and CBP20 genes encode the subunits of the cap binding complex (CBC) involved in mRNA metabolism while the protein product of HYL1 gene takes part in miRNA biogenesis. To provide insight into the role of the ABH1, CBP20 and HYL1 genes in SE, Real-time qPCR analysis was applied to monitor the expression level of these genes at various time points of embryogenic cultures derived from Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 the highly embryogenic (Col-0) and the SE defective mutant (axr4-1 and cbp20) genotypes. The level of ABH1, CBP20 and HYL1 activity was evaluated between 0 and 30d of embryogenic cultures. It was observed that the genes were expressed at the same level during the whole monitored period of embryogenic cultures, implicating their basic role in cell growth and differentiation, rather than SE specificity. Moreover, the expression pattern of the ABH1, CBP20 and HYL1 genes found in cultures derived from the axr4-1 and cbp20 mutants were found to be similar to control culture (Col-0), implicating that the defects in embryogenic response observed in these mutants did not result from changes in expression of the analysed genes. REFERENCES GAJ MD, TROJANOWSKA A, UJCZAK A, MĘDREK M, KOZIOł A and GARBACIAK B. 2006. Hormone-response mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. impaired in somatic embryogenesis. Plant Growth Regulation 49: 183–197. 39 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Obtaining plants from gametic embryos of red beet-preliminary investigations Krystyna Górecka, Dorota Krzyżanowska, Urszula Kowalska, Waldemar Kiszczak, Ryszard Górecki Research Institute of Vegetable Crops, Konstytucji 3 Maja 1/3, 96-100 Skierniewice, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Red beet ranks second (after carrots) in statistics of root vegetable consumption in Poland. Red beet hybrids characterised by high yields and size uniformity are becoming more and more important. Using traditional methods to obtain homozygotic parental forms to create hybrids is difficult and time-consuming. Making use of biotechnological methods (androgenesis and gynogenesis in vitro) could shorten the time needed to obtain F1 cultivars. In experiments conducted at the Research Institute of Vegetable Crops in Skierniewice success was achieved in obtaining the first embryos by gynogenesis and calluses in anther cultures of red beet cv. 'Opolski'. Attempts at plant regeneration from the obtained structures were made on the media used by Barański (1996). Multiplication of shoots was obtained on MS regeneration medium (Muraschige and Skoog, 1962) containing cytokinin and a lower level of sucrose. The next step involved rooting of the obtained rosettes. They were transferred onto the same medium supplemented with IAA, and after about 6 weeks rooted on a medium containing 1/2 of the MS macroelements and IBA. REFERENCES BARAŃSKI R. 1996. Efektywność procesu gynogenezy u buraka ćwikłowego. Praca doktorska wykonana w Katedrze Genetyki Hodowli i Nasiennictwa Wydziału Ogrodniczego Akademii Rolniczej im. H. Kołłątaja w Krakowie. MURASHIGE T, SKOOG F. 1962. A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco tissue cultures. Physiologia Plantarum 15: 473–497. Yacon – in vitro propagation trials Krystyna Górecka, Dorota Krzyżanowska, Urszula Kowalska, Waldemar Kiszczak, Ryszard Górecki Research Institute of Vegetable Crops, Konstytucji 3 Maja 1/3, 96-100 Skierniewice, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] The yacon (Polymnia sonchifolia) is a native Andean plant, cultivated mainly for its tubers, which have a particularly high fructan content. The whole plant is edible. The leaves are used in folk medicine. Extracts from yacon leaves demonstrate antioxidant activity. The plant can be cultivated in the European climate. Natural methods of propagation through tubers or cuttings are not very efficient because of the transmission of bacterial and viral pathogens (Zardini, 1990). Micropropagation in vitro is the best alternative for the propagation of this species (Mogor et al., 2003). The aim of our work was to carry out trials on in vitro propagation of yacon: multiplication of shoots, their rooting and plant weaning. In our preliminary experiments, we obtained the best shoot multiplication on MS medium (Muraschige and 40 Skoog, 1962) supplemented with BAP and 3% sucrose. A medium containing 1/2 MS macroelements, IBA and 3% sucrose proved to be the best for rooting of shoots. Up to 90% of rooted plants became adapted to ex vitro conditions. REFERENCES MOGOR G, MOGOR AF, LIMA GPP. 2003. Bud source, asepsis and benzylaminopurine (BAP) effect on Yacon (Polimnia sonchifolia) micropropagation. ISHS Acta Horticulturae 597: 311–313. MURASHIGE T, SKOOG F. 1962. A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco tissue cultures. Physiologia Plantarum 15: 473–497. ZARDINI E. 1991. Ethnobotanical notes on "yacon" Polymnia sonchifolia (Asteraceae). Economic Botany 45: 72–85. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland The effect of cefotaxime and carbenicillin on carrot protoplast cultures Ewa Grzebelus, Mikołaj Grabka Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Seed Science, Agricultural University of Cracow, Al. 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] In vitro culture techniques, especially protoplast cultures, are expensive, time consuming, and laborious. Therefore exogenous (accidental) and endogenous microbial contamination is one of the most critical points in the research relying on in vitro cultures. Application of antibiotics may help to solve this problem. The ideal antibiotic should efficiently affect a broad spectrum of bacteria and be non-toxic to plant cells. In the present study we examined the toxicity of two antibiotics, i.e. cefotaxime and carbenicillin, to carrot protoplasts. The antibiotics belong to the betalactam and cephalosporin group, respectively. Protoplasts were isolated from the mesophyll tissue of cv. 'Dolanka' according to Dirks et al. (1996) protocol with modifications and cultured at five concentrations (0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0 mg ml-1) of cefotaxime or carbenicillin. Protoplast viability, their mitotic activity and regeneration capacity were analyzed to characterize the toxic effect of the antibiotics on carrot cells. Reduction of protoplast viability was observed after 24 hours of culture for carbenicillin and after 48 hours for cefotaxime. The inhibitory effect of antibiotics on cell divisions was visible after 10 days of the culture. The concentrations of cefotaxime and carbenicillin equal or higher than 1.2 mg ml-1 in culture medium decreased the division frequency of protoplasts. However, carbenicillin showed a more dramatic negative effect on carrot cells, lowering their mitotic activity two- to ten-fold, as compared to cefotaxime. Despite the different reactions of cells at the beginning of the culture, callus tissue and somatic embryos were obtained later, both in the system with cefotaxime and carbenicillin. Owing to the fact that a higher level of plant regeneration was observed in the presence of cefotaxime, this antibiotic should be recommended to protect carrot cell or tissue cultures from bacterial contamination. REFERENCES DIRKS R, SIDOROV V and TULMANS C. 1996. A new protoplast culture system in Daucus carota L. and its applications for mutant selection and transformation. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 93: 809–815. Cytological and molecular variation of carrot regenerants obtained through in vitro selection of carrot protoplasts against Alternaria radicina Ewa Grzebelus, Mirosława Gładysz, Estera Widlarz, Dariusz Grzebelus Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Seed Science, Agricultural University of Cracow, Al. 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] A population of carrot regenerants was produced from protoplasts isolated from three accessions (cvs. 'Dolanka', 'Amsterdamska', and a breeding line 9304B). The protoplasts were cultured in the presence of different concentrations of crude culture filtrate from Alternaria radicina, the causal agent of black rot. We examined the ploidy level of regenerants by flow cytometry and chromosome counting, the level of somaclonal variation by RAPD-PCR, and pollen viability. Cytometric analysis was performed on ca. 500 plants regenerated after in vitro selection and on ca. 260 control plants. 18% regenerants obtained under selection stress and 9% control plants were tetraploids, the rest of regenerants being diploids. Chromosomes were counted for ca. 110 plants, of which 72 represented plants regenerated in Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 the presence of the A. radicina culture filtrate. The results of chromosome counting were consistent with the cytometric data, indicating that no aneuploids were produced in the course of protoplast cultures. Also, no major differences were generally observed on the RAPD-PCR profiles. Only sporadically additional amplicons were present in the profiles of individual regenerants. Pollen viability was the most variable trait, both for the regenerants from in vitro selection and for the control plants. Individuals could be divided into three groups of pollen viability: (1) up to 20%, (2) from 40 to 70%, and (3) from 80 to 90%. The results suggest that the level of variability induced in the process of in vitro selection was only slightly higher than that observed for control plants. 41 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Micropropagation of Scutellaria altissima L. Izabela Grzegorczyk, Halina Wysokińska Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Łódź, Muszyńskiego 1, 90-151 Łódź, e-mail: [email protected] Genus Scutellaria includes over 300 species of perennial plants which show multiple pharmacological activities. Their main secondary metabolites are flavonoids (baicalin, wogonin and scutelarein derivatives) and ditepenoids (clerodane and neoclerodane derivatives). So far only one species Scutellaria baicalensis, listed in Chinese and Japanese Pharmacopeias, has been investigated using in vitro methods, but other Scutellaria species, such as Scutellaria altissima could also become sources of compounds with pharmacological properties. The aim of the present study was to establish optimal conditions for micropropagation of Scutellaria altissima. Shoot tips and stem fragments with single node from fiveweek-old shoots grown in in vitro culture were used as explants. The influence of various cytokinins (6-benzylaminopurine-BAP, zeatin, thidiazuron-TDZ, kinetin, 6-dimethylallylaminopurine-2iP) on shoot proliferation was investigated. The best results were obtained when BAP and zeatin at a high concentration were used. In our work we obtained also the valuable shoots from callus tissue. The callus tissue was obtained from sterile seedlings (fragment of hypocotyls, roots and cotyledons). This investigation is concerned with selection of the most suitable medium for organogenic callus formation. The best conditions for differentiated callus tissue development were on MS medium with a low concentration of thidiazuron. Higher TDZ concentration caused hyperhydricity syndrome and shoot deformation. Induction and proliferation of embryogenic tissues of Serbian spruce (Picea omorika) and their maintenance in liquid nitrogen Teresa Hazubska-Przybył1, Paweł Chmielarz2, Marcin Michalak2, Krystyna Bojarczuk1 1 Laboratory of Vegetative Reproduction, Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Laboratory of Seed Biology, Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Picea omorika is an endemic species threatened with extinction in the wild. Besides, it is a valuable species for nursery production. Hence it is necessary to protect its genetic resources ex situ. Somatic embryogenesis is a very beneficial micropropagation method, because of the potentially high regeneration rate and possibilities to store the embryogenic tissue and somatic embryos in liquid nitrogen (LN). The aim of this study was to induce embryogenic culture of P. omorika and develop a protocol for cryopreservation of embryogenic tissues. Embryogenic tissues of Serbian spruce were induced from mature zygotic embryos. They were dissected from seeds of P. omorika originating from the Kórnik Arboretum (Poland). Explants were cultured in two media: BM-3 (Gupta and Durzan, 1986) and 1/2 LM (Litvay et al., 1985), supplemented with 9 μM auxin (2,4-D, NAA or Picloram) and 4.5 μM cytokinin (BA). Embryogenic tissues were proliferated in 1/2 LM medium with the addition of 9 μM 2,4-D or NAA or Picloram and 4.5 μM BA. Embryogenic tissue of P. omorika was cryopreserved using two methods (E-LN and E+LN). In the first method (E-LN), microfuge tubes containing only embryogenic tis- 42 sue were immersed in LN for 24 h and then rapidly thawed in warm water (42°C) for 2 min. In the second method (E+LN), microfuge tubes containing LN and embryogenic tissue were immersed in LN for 24 h and then embryogenic tissues were taken out of the tubes and rapidly thawed in a warm 1.2 M sucrose solution (42°C) for 2 min. Induction rate of embryogenic tissue of P. omorika was the highest (23.75%) on 1/2 LM medium supplemented with 9 μM Picloram and 4.5 μM BA. The growth of the embryogenic tissue in vitro was best on the same medium. Cryopreservation in microfuge tubes containing only embryogenic tissue (thawed in water inside the tubes) was more appropriate than in microtubes containing LN and embryogenic tissue (thawed directly in sucrose solution). REFERENCES GUPTA PK, DURZAN DJ 1986. Plantlet regeneration via somatic embryogenesis from subcultured callus of mature embryos of Picea abies (Norway spruce). In vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology – Plant 22: 685–688. LITVAY JD, VERMA DC, JOHNSON MA. 1985. Influence of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) culture medium and its components on growth and somatic embryogenesis of wild carrot (Daucus carota L.). Plant Cell Reports 4: 325–328. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Identification of European and Japanese larches and their hybrids based on genetic markers Anna Jagielska Department of Genetics and Forest Tree Physiology, Forest Research Institute, Braci Leśnej 3, Sękocin Stary, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Larix decidua Mill. is a native species, and Larix kaempferi Sarg. is the most common of foreign larch species. Morphological differences between pure Larix decidua and Larix kaempferi and their interspecific hybrid (Larix x eurolepis) are difficult to assess. Hybrids between European and Japanese larches combine the properties of both parental species (Scheepers, 2000). The interspecific hybrids combine traits of both parental species and contribute to their morphological variability. Molecular markers are needed to identify larch hybrids and their parental species. The identification strategy involved a combination of maternally inherited markers from the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) and paternally inherited markers from the chloroplast genome (cpDNA). Hybrids were identified by the presence of a mitochondrial sequence inherited from one parental species and a chloroplast sequence inherited from the other parental species. For the identification of diagnostic markers 96 larch individuals were sampled. Sequences of cpDNA and mtDNA were amplified by polymerase chain reaction using specific primers (Acheré, 2004). The chloroplast (llTaq I) and mitochondrial (f13) diagnostic markers were used to identify pure species of larches and their hybrids. Marker ll-Taq I revealed an interspecific polymorphism. This marker discriminated between all individuals of L. decidua and L. kaempferi. All L. kaempferi individuals possessed a specific 601 bp fragment. This polymorphism is due to a single nucleotide substitution in the restriction site: TCGA recognised by Taq I in L. decidua and TCAA in L. kaempferi. Marker f13 of approximately 1,300 bp, was amplified only in L. kaempferi. The test based on the f13 and ll-TaqI markers is easy to perform and can constitute a very effective instrument for identification of European and Japanese larches and their hybrids. REFERENCES ACHERÉ V, FAIVRE RAMPANT P, PÂQUES LE, PRAT D. 2004. Chloroplast and mitochondrial molecular tests identify European × Japanese larch hybrids. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 108:1643–1649. SCHEEPERS D, ELOY MC, BRIQUET M. 2000. Identification of larch species (Larix decidua, Larix kaempferi and Larix × eurolepis) and estimation of hybrid fraction in seed lots by RAPD fingerprints. Theoretical and Applied Genetics: 1071–1074. In vitro cultures of Drosera binata as a source of compounds with antimicrobial activity Aleksandra Kasprowicz1, Anna Szpitter1, Anita Maciejewska2, Marian Kamiński2, Ewa Łojkowska1, Aleksandra Królicka1 1 Department of Biotechnology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, Kladki 24, 80-822 Gdańsk, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Gdańsk University of Technology, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Gabriela Narutowicza 11/12, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Extracts of plants Drosera binata (Droseraceae) is of potential medicinal use due to the content of naphthoquinones and flavonoids. The aim of this work was to establish the most efficient method for the production of secondary metabolites in the tissue of D. binata grown on 1/2 MS medium, 2% sucrose, pH 5.6 in order to study their antibacterial activity and ability to inhibit bacterial quorum-sensing (QS). For increasing the accumulation of secondary metabolites a series of elicitors has been used: autoclaved overnight suspension of Agrobacterium rhizogenes, jasmonic acid (JA), additional nitrogen salts and nitrogen deprivation in culture medium. Quantitative and qualitative determination of naphthoquinones and flavonoids in chloroform (CHCl3) and methanol extracts from D. binata was performed using NP – HPLC/UV-DAD. JA occurred to be the most efficient elicitor, which increased the accumulation of plumbagin in D. binata tissue about 1.4 fold in comparison to control. Bactericidal Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 activity of extracts was tested against 4 species of human pathogens: Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. To measure antibacterial activity minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of extracts were determined. S. aureus strains occurred to be the most sensitive among human pathogens tested (MBC for CHCl3 extract was 70 μg of dry weight of extract/ml). Indicator strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens and E. coli expressing β-galactosidase or lux genes in the presence of N-acyl homserine lactones (AHLs) were used to study QS inhibition. It was shown that extract from D. binata significantly inhibited AHLinduced response of bioassay strains with IC50 values ranging from 14 to 27 μg/ml depending on the indicator strain used. Acknowledgements: This research was supported by Foundation for Polish Science & by the Grant B051–5–0293–9. 43 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Genetic diversity within population of the endangered species Cypripedium calceolus Adam Kawiński, Joanna Znaniecka, Ewa Łojkowska Laboratory of Plant Protection and Biotechnology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, Kładki 24, 80-822 Gdańsk, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Cypripedium calceolus (L.) (Lady's Slipper) is a 15–60 cm tall terrestrial herb. It grows best in partially shady areas under hazel, oak, conifer or ash. Flowering period depends on geographical location; in Northern Poland, it occurs between May and July. According to the Polish Red List of Threatened Plants this species belongs to the vulnerable group. The aim of the study was to check the suitability of RAPD-PCR to determine the genetic diversity of Lady's Slipper population growing in the nature reserve 'Ostrzycki las'. The results should provide information on Lady's Slipper's manner of reproduction. Fresh leaves of the Lady`s Slipper taxa were collected from the hereby listed sites in the nature reserve and deep (–80°C) frozen. Four DNA isolation methods were tested: PVP isolation described in Pirtilla et al. (2001), CTAB isolation described in Bekesiova et al. (1999), DNA isolation by Fermentas Genomic DNA Purification Kit and A&A Biotechnology Genomic mini AX Plant Kit. RAPD-PCR reaction was carried out in 25 μl volume containing reaction buffer, MgCl2, dNTP`s, primers [10 pmol/μl], all prepared as 'master mix', then aliquoted into reaction tubes. Template DNA (5 ng) was added to the reaction mixture after first adding 1 unit of Taq DNA polymerase (all from Fermentas). Amplification products were separated electrophoretically on a 2% agarose gel and afterwards stained with ethidium bromide. After examining yield and quality of the DNA, the method of DNA isolation described by Bekesiova et al. (1999) with slight modifications was chosen. Approximately 0.05–0.15 g of leaf material were used for DNA extraction experiment. 28 arbitrary 10-mer primers were tested, and seven that gave polymorphic and scorable amplified products, ranging between 100–1200 bp, were used for RAPD profiling. Preliminary experiments proved that RAPD-PCR can be used to determine genetic diversity of Lady`s Slipper. REFERENCES BEKESIOVA I, NAO JP and MLYNAROWA L. 1999: Isolation of high quality DNA and RNA from leaves of the carnivorous plant Drosera rotundifolia. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter 17: 269–277. PIRTILLA AM, HIRSIKORPI M, KAMARAINEN T, JAAKOLA L and HOHTOLA A. 2001. DNA isolation methods for medicinal and aromatic plants. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter 19: 273. Morphological evaluation of interspecific F1 (Allium galanthum × A. cepa) hybrids Agnieszka Kiełkowska, Adela Adamus Department of Genetics, Pant Breeding and Seed Science, Agricultural University of Cracow, 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] The interspecific F1 hybrids (Allium galanthum × A. cepa) were obtained by natural seed forming process and via embryo rescue technique. For hybrids and parental plants (A.galanthum and A.cepa) evaluation of the morphological traits in vegetative and generative phases was conducted. In the vegetative stage the number of bulbs, the number, length and diameter of leaves, length and diameter of the stem were evaluated. In the generative phase the number and length of the flower stems, and the length and diameter of the inflorescence were evaluated. In tested 44 populations, the majority of the investigated features of vegetative as well as generative organs showed an intermediate (V% = 21–50%) or lower variability. The hybrids were similar to the maternal form with regard to only one feature (number of bulbils), while leaf and stem characters were similar to the paternal form. The remaining morphological features of interspecific hybrids were intermediate in relation to maternal and paternal plants. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Characteristic of the cell suspension culture of Eryngium planum L. Małgorzata Kikowska, Barbara Thiem Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Plant Biotechnology, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Św. Marii Magdaleny 14, 61-861 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Eryngium planum L. (Apiaceae) is used in folk medicine in Europe. The presence of active constituents found in majority of Sea Holly species, including triterpene saponins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, essential oils and coumarins, determines their multidirectional pharmacological activity: diuretic, expectorant and antimycotic (Duke J.A.et al.,2002). Numerous studies have been carried out using plant cell suspension cultures as potential sources of valuable constituents. The main problem is that the desired compound usually occurs at a high concentration during a short period of culture growth. For that reason, the shakeflask suspensions have been analyzed in terms of biomass concentration suitable for elicitor addition over the course of a typical growth cycle. This work reports the initiation, maintenance, measurement of cell culture growth and the influence of MeJA on secondary metabolites in the liquid culture of Flat Sea Holly. Methyl jasmonate (100 μM) was employed to enhance the accumulation of the secondary metabolites – triterpene saponins, flavonoids and phenolic acids. Liquid suspension cultures of petiole-derived, stabilized callus of E. planum were conducted by shaking at 110 rpm in MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l 2,4D in the darkness. Subculturing was conducted periodi- cally (every 8–10 days) by inoculating 5 ml of old culture into 50 ml of fresh medium to maintain cell vitality. Cell suspension growth was measured by cell fresh and dry weights. In order to quantify growth, a stabilized suspension culture was used. From this suspension aliquots of 5 ml were inoculated into 9 flasks. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized design with 9 treatments. Evaluations were made at 3-day intervals up to the 24th day. Suspension culture followed a typical growth curve with the complete cycle showing a lag phase, followed by exponential, linear and stationary phases. The ethanolic extracts of suspension cultures were phytochemically analyzed by TLC for presence of complex triterpene saponins, flavonoids and phenolic acids. The data demonstrated that the addition of MeJA on the 12th day of culture caused an increased secondary metabolite accumulation. Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Warsaw, Poland (grant no NN 05 065334) REFERENCES DUKE JA. et al., 2002. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, CRC PRESS, 277–278 In vitro androgenic response of some pepper (Capsicum) genotypes to different levels of kinetin Anna Kisiała, Aleksandra Niklas-Nowak, Marta Orlińska, Paweł Nowaczyk Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, University of Technology and Life Sciences, Kaliskiego 7, 85-789 Bydgoszcz, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] In the reported experiment, the effect of culture media composition on the effectiveness of androgenesis in anther culture of selected pepper (Capsicum) breeding lines and hybrids was tested. Anther culture was conducted according to Dumas de Vaulx et al. (1981), with slight modifications concerning the level of kinetin in R1 medium (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5 mg·dm-3 KIN). The efficiency of gametophytic embryogenesis varied significantly and depended both on the genotype and on the kinetin level tested. In case of annual pepper hybrids, the effectiveness of androgenesis was relatively high and ranged from 2.6% to 15.3%. The highest effectiveness of androgenic embryo development was observed for (ATZ1 CDT) F1 form, in the medium supplemented with 0.1 mg·dm-3 KIN. The effectiveness of Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 anther culture of the lines originated from interspecific hybrid C. annuum L. × C. frutescens L. was considerably lower and very rarely exceeded 2%. However, increase of kinetin concentration in R1 medium visibly improved the androgenic response of most of these lines. According to the cytometric analyses, there were haploid, diploid and some mixoploid plants among the androgenic pepper regenerants. REFERENCES DUMAS DE VAULX R, CHAMBONNET D, POCHARD E. 1981. Culture in vitro d'anthéres de piment (Capsicum annuum L.) amélioration des taux d'obtention de plantes chez différents génotypes par des traitements á +35°C. Agronomie 1: 859–864. 45 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Influence of the ploidy level on growth and organogenesis of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in vitro Magdalena Klimek, Rafał Barański Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Seed Science, Agricultural University of Cracow, Al. 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Crakow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Tissue culture techniques are utilized in breeding of new sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) cultivars. They allow the production of homozygous clones after diploidization of haploid plants developed from unfertilized ovules. However, after haploidization and treatment with antimitotic agents, material with various ploidy level may develop. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of the ploidy level on the susceptibility of sugar beet tissues to culture in vitro and their ability for shoot development. Biological material used in this study was derived from 24 clones of haploids obtained from developing unfertilized ovules in vitro, which were later treated with colchicine. In consequence, groups of plants of common origin were obtained; each group comprised plants not responding to colchicine (1n) and plants with a multiple number of chromosomes (2n and 4n). These materials were assessed for shoot morphology, necrotic changes during the culture and the ability for shoot development. Considerable variation in shoot and leaf morphology was observed among the used genotypes. Usually, 4n plants had shortened shoots, hardened petioles and much wider leaf blades in comparison to 1n and 2n plants. Additionally, they produced fewer shoots during micropropagation. Regeneration ability of leaf explants placed on MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/l BAP was assessed after 3 and 6 weeks of the culture. Preliminary observations indicate that the reaction of explants strongly depended on the genotype of donor plant and, additionally, on the ploidy level. Usually, 1n plants exhibited a higher potential for organogenesis than did 2n and 4n plants. However, there was no difference between explants of different ploidy levels in their survival rates. A study of the influence of humic substances on in vitro potato growth and tuberization Józef Klocek1, Guy Costa2, Halina Mioduszewska1 1 Department of Plant Physiology and Genetics, University of Podlasie, Prusa 12, 08-110 Siedlce, Poland, e-mail [email protected] 2 Laboratoire de Chimie des Substances Naturelles (LCSN EA 1069) Faculté des Sciences & Techniques, Universitie de Limoges,123 Avenue Albert Thomas, 87060 Limoges, e-mail [email protected] It has long been recognized that humic substances (HS) have many beneficial effects both on the soil and on plant growth. These heterogeneous and complex molecules, ubiquitous in the environment, may produce various morphological, physiological and biochemical effects on higher plants (Chen and Aviad, 1990). The influence of the humic material on plant growth have been investigated with various measurement methods and numerous studies have shown that humic substances not only enhance the root, leaf and shoot growth but also stimulate germination of various crop species (Piccolo et al., 1993). These positive effects are explained by the direct interaction of HS with the physiological and metabolic processes (Nardi et al., 2002). When added to the soil or medium, the HS increase nutrient uptake and cell permeability and they modify the mechanisms involved in plant growth stimulation. We examined the influence of three different HS concentrations (1%, 2% and 3%) on growth of potato plants. These substances were added to the MS medium on which single node cuttings of potato plants were grown in order 46 to observe what influence these substances might exert on the length of the shoots and the number of leaves and roots as well as on the tuberization process. When added to the medium, the HS stopped the growth of the shoots and reduced the number of the leaves and roots in comparison to the control sample. However, the tuberization process began earlier in case of the plants grown on the medium with the HA. This paper discusses the influence of HS on the above mentioned processes. REFERENCES CHEN Y, AVAID T. 1990. Effects of humic substances on plant growth. In: American Society of Agronomy and Soil Science Society of America [eds.], 161–186. Humic substances in soil and crop science; Selected Readings. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI. NARDI S, PIZZEGHELLO D, MUSCOLO A, VIANELLO A. 2002. Physiological effects of humic substances in higher plants. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 34: 1527–1537. PICCOLO A, CELANO G, PIETRAMELLARA G. 1993. Effects of fractions of coal-derived humic substances on seed germination and growth of seedlings (Lactuga sativa and Lycopersicum esculentum). Biology and Fertility of Soils 16: 11–15. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Genes involved in flax pathogenesis Kamil Kostyn, Magdalena Czemplik, Aleksandra Boba, Anna Kulma, Jan Szopa Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland; e-mail: [email protected] Fusarium is the most common flax pathogen causing serious plant diseases and in most cases leading to plant death. It is estimated that over 20% of damages in flax cultivation is caused by Fusarium infection. Plant response to pathogen attack is a complex mechanism, and involves multiple defense strategies and different biochemical pathways (Dixon and Harrison, 1990). The identification of the plant genes that respond to infection, and generation of suitable transgenic plants is the approach that has been used in our study. Fifty four flax genes have been identified by means of cDNAs subtraction method as those that respond to pathogen infection. Subtracted genes were classified into several classes, and the prevalence of the genes involved in the broad spectrum of antioxidant biosynthesis has been noticed. Compounds known for their antioxidative properties, like terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, catecholamines, play a well established role in the plant pathogen response. Phenylpropanoids are of special interest among them, as they are connected with cell wall biosynthesis. The phenolic alcohols are constituents of lignins and lignans, which reinforce the cell wall, the first barrier against pathogens. In addition, phenolic acids form amides with catecholamines and settle in the cell wall, making it more resistant to pathogens (Zakarés et al., 2007). By means of semi-quantitative PCR, the involvement of subtracted genes controlling phenylpropanoid pathway in flax upon infection was positively verified. Moreover, the metabolite profiling obtained from the GCMS analysis constitutes a supplementary verification. The data from analysis of the transgenic flax plants overexpressing genes of the phenylpropanoid pathway showed and confirmed the protective effect of phenolic compounds against Fusarium infection. REFERENCES DIXON RA, HARRISON M. 1990. Activation, structure, and organization of genes involved in microbial defense in plants. Advances in Genetics 28: 165–234. ZACARÉS L, LÓPEZ-GRESA MP, FAYOS J, PRIMO J, BELLÉS JM, CONEJERO V. 2007. Induction of p-Coumaroyldopamine and Feruloyldopamine, two novel metabolites, in tomato by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions 20: 1439–1448. Induced androgenesis in anther culture of Lupinus angustifolius Kamila Kozak, Renata Galek, Ewa Sawicka-Sienkiewicz Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Seed Production, The Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Science, Pl. Grunwaldzki 24 A, 50-363 Wrocław, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] The aim of this work was to evaluate the reaction of seven blue lupine (Lupinus angustifolius) genotypes – cvs. 'Graf', 'Emir', breeding line 'LAE-1' and four hybrids originated from crossing 'LAE-1 × Graf' (204, 205) and 'Emir × LAE-1' (207, 209) – after inducing androgenesis in tissue culture. Some effort was made to increase the efficiency of androgenesis through optimization of conditions, such as: developmental stage of microspores, method of pretreatment and medium composition. A cytological analysis of developmental stage of Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 microspores was performed on anthers in vivo and on explants sampled during the in vitro culture. Microscopic observations of all materials revealed the occurrence of multicellular microspores, which indicate the induction of divisions. The tendencies of the analyzed genotypes to produce multicellular structures resembling embryos at the globular stage and to induce callus formation were observed. To confirm the microspore origin of the developed embryos, chromosome counts of root tip meristematic cells were also made. 47 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Enhancing of salidroside and rosavin production in Rhodiola kirilowii callus cultures Anna Krajewska-Patan1, Mariola Dreger1, Małgorzata Górska-Paukszta1, Alina Mścisz1, Sebastian Mielcarek1, Marek Baraniak1, Waldemar Buchwald1, Mirosława Furmanowa2, Przemysław M. Mrozikiewicz1 1 The Branch of Medicinal Plants of the Institute of Natural Fibres and Medicinal Plants, Libelta 27, 61-707 Poznań, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany of Medical University in Warsaw, Banacha 1, 02-097 Warsaw Rhodiola kirilowii (Regl.) Maxim (Crassulaceae) is a traditional medicinal plant used in North Asia and China. Animal studies have shown a protective effect of the root extract in cardiopulmonary disorders in the hypoxic conditions induced by high altitude. Callus tissues of R. kirilowii synthesize only trace amounts of salidroside and rosavins – the supposed biologically active compounds of R. rosea, a related medicinal plant from genus Rhodiola. The aim of this study was to enhance the production of salidroside and rosavins in R. kirilowii callus tissues by exogenous addition of precursors to the medium. Callus tissue (line derived from cotyledons) cultured on solid MS medium was used in the experiments. The supplementation with p-tyrosol (at 3–5 mM/L) resulted in a significant increase of salidroside content – up to 1106 mg/100g dry weight (110-fold increase compared to control). The addition of cinnamyl alcohol (at 2.5 mM/L) induced rosavins and especially rosin production (1193 mg/100g d.w.) in the treated tissues. The supplemented callus tissues synthesized also: p-tyrosol, epigallatecatechine gallate, tannins and polyphenolic acids. These results demonstrated that supplemented R. kirilowii callus was able to synthesize high amounts of salidroside and rosavins (in contrast to intact plants where traces amounts of rosavins have been found). Acknowledgment: The project was supported by a grant of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, project No: N 405 025 32/1687. Comparison of micropropagation methods of Polish cultivars of barley and oat Hanna Kruczkowska, Helena Pawłowska, Barbara Skucińska Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Science, Agricultural University of Cracow, Łobzowska 24, 31-140 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Obtaining transgenic plants in cereal cultivars of agronomic value requires an efficient method of micropropagation which does not cause an additional variation. Recently suggested protocols consist in inducing regeneration of multiple shoots from apical meristems of seedlings derived in vitro from dry mature seeds. We compared the efficiency of three protocols: after Zhang et al. (1996), Sharma et al. (2004) and Geneshan et al. (2006) in several Polish cultivars of barley and oat. In a preliminary experiment, two procedures, after Zhang et al. and Sharma et al., were compared for oat cv. Chwat. We showed that numbers of shoots obtained from one explant in the same period of culture did not differ significantly. The procedure after Zhang et al. was found to be more laborious (dehusking of grains, cutting of shoots), so in the next experiment, involving two oat and two barley cultivars, we compared protocols by Sharma et al. and Geneshan et al. In the examined cultivars, the protocol after Geneshan et al. proved to be more efficient, less laborious and faster. After 10–11 weeks of culture we obtained, on average, in barley cv. Basza – 6.3, cv. Stratus 48 – 17.1 shoots per plated explant; in oat cv. Bohun – 28.1, cv. Szakal – 54.2 shoots per plated explant. The lesser efficiency of the protocol after Sharma et al. in the same period of culture resulted mainly from a number of nonproliferating explants in barley and from slower development and elongation of shoots. REFERENCES GENESHAN S, CHODAPARAMBIL SV, BAGA M, FOWLER DB, HUCL P, ROSSNAGEL BG, and CHIBBAR RN. 2006. In vitro regeneration of cereals based on multiple shoot indiction from mature embryos in response to thidiazuron. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 85: 63–73. SHARMA VK, HÄNSCH R, MENDEL RR, and SCHULZE J. 2004. A highly efficient plant regeneration system through multiple shoot differentiation from commercial cultivars of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) using meristematic shoot segments excised from germinated mature embryos. Plant Cell Reports 23: 9–16. ZHANG S, ZHONG H, and STICKLEN MB. 1996. Production of multiple shoots from shoot apical meristems of oat (Avena sativa L.). Journal of Plant Physiology 148: 667–671. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Shoot regeneration of perennial wild beet species in vitro Kamilla Kużdowicz, Maria Gośka Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute, Powstańców Wlkp. 10, 85-090 Bydgoszcz, Poland, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Perennial wild beet species are characterized by the high level of resistance to main beet diseases and tolerance to environmental stresses such as low temperature and drought (Asher et al., 2001). In vitro multiplication ability of most wild beet species is not sufficiently known. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the possibility of in vitro shoot regeneration of perennial wild beet species. Seeds without hard coat of B. macrorhiza, B. trigyna, B. lomatogona, B. corolliflora and B. vulgaris as a control were used in this study. For surface sterilisation, seeds were treated with 70% ethanol for 30 s, 5% sodium hypochlorite for 25 minutes and washed four times in a sterile distilled water. Sterilized seeds were incubated in darkness for 4–8 days at 25°C on sterile moist blottingpaper in glass Petri dishes to obtain germination which was observed three days later. For each species, 36 shoot tips from 7 or 9 day old seedlings with 5 mm hypocotyls were cultured at 25°C on MS basal medium (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) containing different concentrations and combinations of growth regulators (BAP, TDZ, KIN, 2iP) under artificial daylight conditions. Explants were trans- ferred to fresh medium every four weeks. Aseptic leaf and petiole segments were also cultured. After 10 days, 16–55% of explants from seedlings of perennial species and 99% of explants of B. vulgaris started to regenerate shoots or shoot-like structures. Leaf and petiole explants showed no morphogenetic responses. MS medium emriched with 1 mg l-1 BAP was the best for an efficient plant regeneration of perennial wild beet species. Shoot regeneration ability was the best for seedlings incubated in darkness for 8 days. Some of regenerated plants of perennial wild beet species occasionally developed root-like structures but majority of them did not form roots on the basal medium. Acknowledgement: This work was financed by the research project No. 2 PO6A 021 30. REFERENCES ASHER MJC, LUTERBACHER MC, FRESE L. 2001. Wild Beta species as a source of resistance to sugar-beet pests and diseases. International Sugar Journal 103: 447–456. MURASIGE T, SKOOG F. 1962. A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco tissue cultures. Physiologia Plantarum 15: 473–497. Biotransformation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in in vitro cultures of Ruta graveolens ssp. divaricata Inga Kwiecień, Katarzyna Bień, Halina Ekiert Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Jagiellonian University, Collegium Medicum, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] The cells of Ruta graveolens ssp. divaricata* cultured in vitro have been shown to transform the exogenous precursor, hydroquinone into its β-D-glucoside, arbutin (Skrzypczak et al., 2005). The maximal obtained contents of this product (12–13% d.w.) were very interesting from practical point of view (Zubek et al., 2009). p-Hydroxybenzoic acid has been reported to be a good precursor of arbutin in in vitro cultures of many different plant species (Dušková et al., 1999). The aim of the present studies was to test the usefulness of this compound as a precursor of arbutin. The agitated cultures of R. g. ssp. divaricata were maintained using Linsmaier-Skoog medium (Linsmaier and Skoog, 1965), supplemented with 2 mg/l NAA and 2 mg/l BAP. Different concentrations of the p-hydroxybenzoic acid (96–384 mg/l of medium) were administered into the culture flasks in one, two or three portions. The products of the biotransformation were qualitatively determined in methanol extracts from dry biomass and lyophilized media by HPLC method. The main product of biotransformation in the extracts from biomass had retention time (tR= 12.20 min) different from arbutin. Unknown compound was found also in the media when the higher dose of the precursor was administered. Identification of this compound is under way. Additionally, in the biomass and the media extracts we detected hydroquinone, which is the evidence of decarboxylation of the p-hydroxybenzoic acid. REFERENCES DUŠKOVÁ J, DUŠEK J, JAHODÁR L. 1999. Zur Biotransformation von Hydrochinon zu Arbutin in den In vitro-Kulturen. Herba Polonica 45: 23–26. LINSMAIER EM, SKOOG F. 1965. Organic growth factor requirements of tabacco tissue cultures. Physiologia Plantarum 18: 100–127. SKRZYPCZAK-PIETRASZEK E, SZEWCZYK A, PIEKOSZEWSKA A, EKIERT H. 2005. Biotransformation of hydroquinone to arbutin in plant in vitro cultures – preliminary results. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum 27: 79–87. ZUBEK S, JANAS E, EKIERT H. 2009. 5th German-Polish Symposium "New challenges for pharmaceutical sciences", Poznań, Abstracts, p.126. * The cultures were obtained thanks to cooperation of our Department with Institute of Biosciences, Würzburg University (Germany) – Prof. F. Ch. Czygan, Dr. A. Abou-Mandour Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 49 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Studies of the biotransformation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in in vitro cultures of Ruta graveolens Inga Kwiecień, Szymon Zubek, Halina Ekiert Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Jagiellonian University, Collegium Medicum, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Arbutin, β-D-glucoside of hydroquinone, is a well-known plant metabolite possessing both therapeutic and cosmetic values. Shoot cultures of Ruta graveolens maintained at the Chair of Pharmaceutical Botany JU CM are a good source of this compound. The cells of the Ruta graveolens shoots cultured in vitro successfully transformed the exogenous hydroquinone into arbutin. The maximal content of this product, obtained so far is 7.8 % d.w. (Zubek et al., 2009). In order to obtain higher biotransformation efficiency, the usefulness of p-hydroxybenzoic acid as a potential arbutin precursor was tested. p-Hydroxybenzoic acid has been shown to be a good precursor of arbutin in in vitro cultures of many different plant species (Dušková et al., 1999). The agitated cultures of R. graveolens were maintained using Linsmaier-Skoog medium (Linsmaier and Skoog, 1965), supplemented with 2 mg/l NAA and 2 mg/l BAP. Different concentrations of the p-hydroxybenzoic acid (96 – 384 mg/l of medium) were administered into the culture flasks in one, two or three portions. The products of the biotransformation were qualitatively determined in methanol extracts from dry biomass and in lyophilized media by HPLC method. The main product of biotransformation in the extracts from biomass had retention time (tR= 12.20 min) different from arbutin. Identification of this compound is under way. This unknown compound was detected also in the media when the higher dose of the precursor was administered. Additionally, in the biomass extracts we detected hydroquinone, which is the evidence of decarboxylation of the p-hydroxybenzoic acid. REFERENCES DUŠKOVÁ J, DUŠEK J, JAHODÁR L. 1999. Zur Biotransformation von Hydrochinon zu Arbutin in den In vitro-Kulturen. Herba Polonica 45: 23–26. LINSMAIER EM, SKOOG F. 1965. Physiologiae Plantarum 18: 100–127. ZUBEK S, PIEKOSZEWSKA A, EKIERT H. 2009. Arbutin production in Ruta graveolens L. and Hypericum perforatum L. in vitro cultures. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum. accepted. Artificial seeds of Linum usitatissimum L. and Morus alba L. in long-term storage under slow growth conditions Aleksandra Luwanska1, Grazyna Mankowska1, Karolina Wielgus1 1 Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Natural Fibres & Medicinal Plants, Wojska Polskiego 71b, 60-630 Poznań, Poland; e-mail: [email protected] Techniques of in vitro culture are used not only for micropropagation but also long-term storage of plant material in gene banks. They are an effective tool for maintaining gene resources of crop plants, rare, extinct and elite plants, collections of botanic gardens, as well as plants incapable of generative propagation or plants with modified features. Fragments of tissues or entire organs of such plants can be stored under slow growth conditions and in the form of 50 artificial seeds. The aim of this study was to create artificial seeds of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) as an example of a crop plant and white mulberry (Morus alba L. cv. Żólwińska Wielkolistna) as a genotype of a rare tree. The vitality of plants was assessed after creating artificial seeds and after three-month storage. The results proved the effectiveness of storing plant material in the form of artificial seeds on medium that conditions slow growth. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Regeneration of Gentiana cruciata from in vitro shoot tip culture Maciej Ładyżyński and Jan J. Rybczyński Botanical Garden – Center for Biological Diversity Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Prawdziwka 2, 02-973 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Different explants and types of culture have been used for studies of somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis in genus Gentiana. Shoot tips and liquid medium have been used relatively rarely, and not at all in G. cruciata. Such a combination should be conducive to a low variation and an increased regeneration efficiency. The study aimed to achieve an efficient regeneration protocol for the legally protected G. cruciata. Explants, i.e. shoot tips (< 1 mm) containing 2–4 leaf primordia, were dissected from 1–1.5-month-old seedlings growing under in vitro conditions. Single explants were placed in 100 ml Erlenmeyer flasks containing 20 ml of MS medium (half-strength macroelements) supplemented with different levels of growth regulators: cytokinin BAP and auxin NAA. Two ways of medium mixing were applied. Cultures were maintained on an orbital shaker at 100 rpm and on a rotary device at 12 rpm. Temperature was 25°C and photoperiod was 16/8 h (day/night). Among hormone combinations and concentrations studied, the best results were obtained on media supplemented with 0.2 mg/L NAA, or with 2.0 mg/L NAA and 0.2 mg/L BAP. After 9–10 weeks of culture, more or less developed regenerants (from green points on tissue aggregates to 2–4-leaf shoots) were the main part of the biomass. It was possible to obtain 86 shoots, each with several leaflets, from one shoot tip after 3 months of culture. The type of equipment used (rotary or shaker device) did not influence the development of explants and the results were similar. Multiplied shoots transferred onto agar media with or without growth regulators were easily rooted at a high rate. Acknowledgement: Supported by project no 39/N-COST/2007/0 of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education Cryobank of gametophytes of tropical woody fern species Damian Makowski, Anna Mikuła, Jan J. Rybczyński Botanical Garden – Center for Biological Diversity Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Prawdziwka 2, 02-973 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Maintaining representative collections of biological diversity of woody ferns outside of their natural habitats is very difficult, because of their large size. Mainly vegetative propagation of tropical ferns leads to constraining of their gene pool. Ferns need special procedures to introduce them into gene banks. Now, it is possible to develop new cryopreservation methods. The aims of this study were: 1) to establish the most efficient cryopreservation conditions for gametophytes of seven woody fern species and 2) to create their gene bank in liquid nitrogen (LN). Experiments were carried out on the following fern gametophyte cultures: Cyathea australis, Cyathea dealbata, Cyathea smithii, Cyathea schan-chin, Cibotium schiedei, Cibotium glaucum, Dicksonia fibrosa. Encapsulation-dehydration method was applied. The influence of time of preculture, ABA Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 addition and type of preculture 1/2 MS medium (solid/liquid) were tested. Encapsulated gametophytes of D. fibrosa and C. schan-chin survived at 100% rate after the NL treatment, independently of preculture type and time. Gametophytes of other five species survived at 60–80% rates. Application of two-week preculture with ABA gave better results than preculture without ABA for these species. Cryopreservation by encapsulation-dehydration allows to create a cryobank of tropical woody fern gametophytes with the possibility of a high level viability conservation. Acknowledgement: The research was supported by project no 39/N-COST/2007/0 of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education. 51 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Somatic embryo formation in callus cultures of Narcissus L. 'Carlton' multiplied in liquid media Małgorzata Malik, Barbara Stawiarz Department of Ornamental Plants, Agricultural University of Cracow, 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Until now only a few studies have reported propagation of Narcissus L. based on the process of somatic embryogenesis in liquid and liquid/solid culture systems (Malik, 2008; Malik and Molenda, 2008; Sage and Schroeder, 2002). These studies imply that cultivation in liquid media has a positive effect on somatic embryogenesis. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of an 8-week exposure of callus to the liquid medium as well as that of growth regulator contents in the media on biomass growth and somatic embryo formation. Seven lines (LC1-7) of embryogenic calluses of different origins (initial explant, initial medium, culture system) were used for the experiment. Calluses were cultured for 8 weeks in liquid proliferation media with Picloram or 2,4-D (10 or 25 μM) and BA (1 or 5 μM) and then for 24 weeks on solid proliferation or regeneration medium containing 0.5 μM NAA and 5 μM BA. The control cultures were maintained for 32 weeks on solid media. The highest biomass growth was observed in the LC7 callus line culture obtained on ovary explants under the influence of 25 μM Picloram and 5 μM BA. The highest number of somatic embryos was noted in the LC5 callus line culture initiated from ovary explants and cultured on medium containing 25 μM 2,4-D and 5 μM BA in the liquid/solid culture system (Malik, 2008). The 8-week liquid medium treatment did not result in a biomass increase but promoted somatic embryo formation. Proliferation media stimulated the process of callus culture multiplication. In turn, the regeneration medium promoted somatic embryo formation. Acknowledgement: The research were supported by Ministry of Education and Science (No. 2P06R12129). REFERENCES MALIK M. 2008. Comparison of different liquid/solid culture systems in the production of somatic embryos from Narcissus L. ovary explants. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 94: 337–345 MALIK M, MOLENDA M. 2008. Formowanie zarodków somatycznych narcyza (Narcissus L.) z tkanki kalusowej w systemie okresowego zalewania pożywką RITA® oraz na pożywce stałej. Zeszyty Problemowe Postępów Nauk Rolniczych 525: 237–243. SAGE DO, SCHROEDER MB. 2002. Growth and development of nodular callus of Narcissus pseudonarcissus cvs in temporary immersion 'Rita' bioreactors. In: Abstracts of the 1st international symposium on liquid systems for in vitro mass propagation of plants, Norway, May 29 – June 2 2002. The analysis of cell ploidy level in the explant tissue culture of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) and flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Grażyna Mańkowska, Aleksandra Luwańska, Karolina Wielgus Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Natural Fibres and Medicinal Plants, 60-630 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] The influence of ploidy of hemp and flax explants on their capacity for regeneration during in vitro culture makes the determination of the cell ploidy necessary at the beginning of breeding and genetic studies. The aim of the study was to evaluate the suitability of different hemp and flax explants for organogenesis by monitoring the ploidy level by the means of flow cytometry. Stems, leaves, roots and cotyledons of hemp (Beniko) and flax (Nike, Alba, Aleksim) were used. The analysis was performed for the explants at different stages of plant growth: cotyledons of swollen seeds, young seedlings (five days after germination), two week and five week old plants. Additionally, at the beginning of flowering, flax anthers containing microspores with one nucleus were isolated from flowers. The determination of ploidy level was conducted using flow cytometer PARTEC CA II. The samples were fragmented directly in analysis buffer and then isolated nuclei were filtered through polyamide filter (50 μm). The released nuclei were stained with 4',6diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). The fluorescence of 52 individual nuclei was evaluated. The experiments were carried out in three replicates and 3500–6000 nuclei per sample were analysed. Histograms from different samples of DNA were compared with standard with known DNA content (erythrocytes of trout). The results with respect to hemp demonstrated that young seedling and their cotyledons were mixoploid (2n+4n) which makes them unsuitable for in vitro culture. A clear decrease of DNA content was observed in leaves and in upper part of shoots from five week old plants. Two week old hemp was found to be the best source of explants due to their stable 2n DNA content. The experiment conducted on flax revealed that explants obtained from five day and two week old plants were the most suitable for in vitro culture. In the leaves of five week old flax there was a decrease in DNA content. Based on the results of this research, it may be concluded that the best explants for regeneration purposes originated from two week old hemp, as well as five and fourteen day old flax. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Does a relationship between the frequency of androgenesis and vernalization requirement exist in wheat? Izabela Marcińska, Edyta Skrzypek, Ilona Czyczyło-Mysza, Agata Stawicka, Marta Pilipowicz The F. Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 30-239 Cracow, Niezapominajek 21, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Androgenesis was achieved in Polish spring and winter wheat cultivars, which were all derived from F1 hybrids. Anthers were incubated on C17 medium and embryo-like structures on 190-2 regenerating medium. The relationship between anther culture traits and selected phenotypic traits of donor plants were evaluated by correlation, regression and variance analysis. It was found that the frequency of production of embryo-like structures and the number of regenerated green and albino plants were significantly different for winter and spring genotypes. The effectiveness of androgenesis was as much as two times higher in winter cultivars compared to spring cultivars. Is it possible that vernalization stimulated this process? The exposure of germinating seeds to a prolonged period of low temperature promoted flowering in adult plants of wheat (Chaudhary et al., 2003). It is possible that genes involved in vernalization, can also be involved in the molecular mechanism of androgenesis, including the role of DNA methylation. Androgenesis was also related to some morphological traits of the main shoot and yield structure independently of the kind of genotype within the winter and spring cultivars. Such relationships may be due to the fact that these traits are influenced by the genetic basis of hybrid parental lines (Dodig et al., 2008). These results suggest that it is possible to screen genotypes with good anther culture traits directly by morphological markers, which are practical and simple to use for breeders, to select highly productive wheat lines in anther culture. The advantages of double haploid technology for accelerating breeding programs include reduction of costs of cultivar development, via the greater efficiency, with which the homozygous double haploid lines can be evaluated for selected desired traits. REFERENCES CHAUDHARY HK, DHALIWAL I, SINGH S, SETHI GS. 2003. Genetics of androgenesis in winter and spring wheat genotypes. Euphytica 132: 311–319. DODIG D, ZORIC M, MITIC N, NIKOLIC R, SURLAN-MOMIROVIC G. 2008. Tissue culture and agronomic traits relationship in wheat. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 95: 107–114. Analysis of indole compounds in Calocera viscosa mycelium cultured on liquid medium and in its fruiting bodies Bożena Muszyńska, Katarzyna Sułkowska-Ziaja Chair and Department of Parmaceutical Botany, Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum, Medyczna 9, 301-688 Cracow, Poland In Poland Calocera viscosa (Pers.; Fr.) Fr. (Macromycetes) is a widespread species of mushroom. The aim of this study was to investigate the contents of indole compounds in fruiting bodies of this species and in its mycelium cultured in vitro. Fruiting bodies were collected in mixed forests in southern Poland. In vitro cultures was initialized from fruiting bodies taken from the natural state. The optimal medium composition for a submerged culture was determined. Fresh material: fruiting bodies (61.5 g) and mycelium (170 g) was frozen and then dried by lyophilization. The crushed dry biomass was extracted with petroleum ether to remove the oil fraction which was discarded. The remaining biomass was extracted with methanol. Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 Analysis of indole compounds was performed in methanol extracts using chromatographic methods: TLC, PTLC and HPLC. The HPLC method allowed to estimate the contents of the following metabolites (mg/100g d.w.): tryptophan (0.92), skatol (0.37), 5-methoxytryptamine (0.14), melatonin (0.79) in fuiting bodies and tryptophan (0.89), skatol (0.31), 5-hydroxytryptophan (0.23) and melatonin (0.45) in mycelium from in vitro cultures. It was demonstrated that in vitro cultures of Calocera viscosa and its fruiting bodies contain comparable amounts of indole derivatives. In vitro cultures will make a good model for studies of accumulation of this group of metabolites. 53 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Conversion – the critical point of induced embryogenesis in Capsicum spp. Paweł Nowaczyk, Lubosława Nowaczyk Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, University of Technology and Life Sciences, Bernardynska 6, 85-069 Bydgoszcz, e-mail: [email protected] The creation of new, useful genetic variation is the main aim of in vitro gametic embryogenesis, while the somatic embryogenesis provide an opportunity for multiplication of heterozygotic genotypes. In both these processes, the conversion of the embryos into plantlets is the limiting factor for their practical exploitation. From this point of view the effectiveness of induced embryogenesis should be presented as the relationship of obtained plantlets to explant number. The success rate of converting haploid embryos to plants in Capsicum annuum L. ranged between zero to over 50%, according to genotype and conditions of anther culture. In the study on individual reaction of Capsicum F2 plants (Nowaczyk et al., 2009), interspecific hybrids showed a higher conversion coefficient (84%) than did C. annuum L. (52%). In both of these genotype groups the share of haploids was lower than that of diploid plants. Therefore, spontaneous diploidization of haploid embryos derived from anther cultures seems to be a very interesting phenomenon. The lines obtained as a result of distant hybrid progeny selection showed that the conversion efficiency depends mainly on the genotype characteristics. Similar effectiveness has been observed when the microspores were used as explants (Supena et al., 2006). In some of hot pepper genotypes 15–33% of embryos converted to complete plants. This information is not good for pepper breeders because conversion is the limiting factor in the rapid use of the new genes and character arrangements in hybrid recombinants. In addition, research on somatic embryogenesis has not supplied satisfactory results concerning this way of propagation, however the maximum conversion effectiveness currently described for one cultivar has reached 80% (Khan et al., 2006). REFERENCES KHAN H, SIDDIQUE I, ANIS M. 2006. Thidiazuron induced somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in Capsicum annuum. Biologia Plantarum 50 (4): 789–792. NOWACZYK P, OLSZEWSKA D, KISIAłA A. 2009. Individual reaction of Capsicum F2 hybrid genotypes in anther cultures. Euphytica DOI:10.1007/s10681–009–9909–4 SUPENA EDJ, SUHARSONO S, JACOBSEN E, CUSTERS JBM. 2005. Successful development of a shed-microspore culture protocol for doubled haploid production in Indonesian hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Plant Cell Reports 25: 1–10. Shoot induction potential of nine Brassica napus varieties and two types of explants Agata Obarska, Katarzyna L. Janczur, Barbara Tomaszewska Department of Biochemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Rapeseed is recognized as the most important source of vegetable oil and protein-rich meal worldwide. It is well known that the improvement of plant breeding methods is slow, time consuming and labor-intensive. Non-conventional genetic improvement programs based on tissue culture and molecular genetics are essential as a complement to standard breeding. Efficient micropropagation and transformation methods require a reliable and efficient callus induction and plantlet regeneration protocols therefore B. napus has become an object of extensive tissue culture studies (Moghaieb et al., 2005). A wide range of target explants of B. napus have been studied, including hypocotyls, petioles, thin cell layers, stem segments and protoplasts. The effects of culture media and genotypes on shoot regeneration in oilseed Brassica species have also been examined (Tang et al., 2003). Due to the highly variable and genotype specific regeneration in B. napus, it is especially important to determine the varieties and types of explants with particularly high potential for tissue culture micropropagation among Polish accessions. In our research we tested nine rapeseed varieties registered in 54 Poland and two types of explants to detect the variation in frequency of callus induction, shoot induction and shoot induction effectiveness. We cultured hypocotyl and petiole explants of each variety on MS medium supplemented with hormones (0.15 mg/l NAA and 3 mg/l BAP) and AgNO3 (2.5 mg/l). By measuring the shoot induction frequency and effectiveness parameters we showed that the differences in shoot regeneration ability of various explants were significant within the same variety as well as in different genotypes. Thus, the shoot regeneration from rapeseed explants highly depended on the genotype and kind of explant. REFERENCES MOGHAIEB REA, EL-AWADY MA, EL MERGAWY RG, YOUSSEF SS, ELSHARKAWY AM 2006. A reproducible protocole for regeneration and transformation in canola (Brassica napus L.). African Journal of Biotechnology 5: 143–148. TANG GX, ZHOU WJ, LI HZ, MAO BZ, HE ZH, YONEYAMA K. 2003. Medium, explant and genotype factors influecning shoot regeneration in oliseed Brassica ssp. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science 189: 351–358. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Is it possible to select drought-resistant Rubus genotypes from in vitro populations of seedlings or adventitious shoots? Teresa Orlikowska1, Danuta Kucharska1, Krzysztof Klamkowski1, Marcin Horbowicz2, Lesław Lahuta3 1 Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, Skierniewice, Poland, e-mail: Teresa.Orlikowska.insad.pl University of Podlasie, Siedlce, Poland 3 University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland 2 Raspberry is an important fruit in the Polish horticulture, fresh produce and food industries. Irrigation during spring and summer is essential in some years and on some plantations, but this increases the production costs. Therefore, drought stress tolerance should be one of the breeding goals. We would like to develop a reliable system enabling the preliminary screening of seedlings and adventitious regenerants at the in vitro stage. We compared the reactions of 6 raspberry and 2 blackberry cultivars propagated in vitro to drought stress simulated by the addition of polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG) to the media. We measured the contents of osmoprotectants (proline and soluble carbohydrates) and of the percentage dry mass at different PEG concentrations and after different culture times. We also observed the reaction to water deficit of one-year old plants grown in pots in the greenhouse using the same genotypes, by measuring: leaf water potential, the intensity of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence. A metabolic reaction in vitro was already observable after one week, but the patterns of reactions differed between genotypes depending on the stressor concentration and the length of the stress period. Differences in the osmoprotectant contents were also found in the control shoots (non-stressed). The water deficit in the soil limited the intensity of gas exchange and the water potential in the leaves, and decreased the ETR coefficient, but differences between genotypes were also observed. All the parameters, whether in vitro or in vivo, indicated cv. Latham as the most resistant to water stress. The effect of cytokinins on in vitro morphogenesis of Passiflora caerulea L. Marcin Ożarowski, Barbara Thiem Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Plant Biotechnology, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Św. Marii Magdaleny 14, 61-861 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] The development of an effective method of in vitro regeneration of Passiflora caerulea L. (blue passion flower) is essential for the improvement of cultivation and rapid micropropagation of the plant, whose expected medicinal properties include anxiolytic, sedative, analgesic, antiepileptic activities and utility as a remedy for opiate withdrawal. The aim of the research was to estimate the effect of cytokinins on the production of morphogenic callus and shoot induction from different explants of P. caerulea. Several concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), alone or in combination with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) or gibberelic acid (GA3), were used in vitro to induce indirect morphogenesis and to achieve micropropagation. Three types of explants obtained from in vitro seed germination: leaf discs, root segments and shoot tips (30-day seedling) were used in experiments. The frequency of callus and shoot formation was dependent on the origin of the explants, concentration of Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 cytokinin and medium supplementation. The culture medium containing 0.5 mg/l BAP was the most suitable for all the explants. The highest rate of induction of indirect morphogenesis was observed in leaf discs. Direct morphogenesis was observed on root segments. The best results for shoot regeneration, elongation and propagation from node explants were obtained on media containing 1.0 mg/l BAP or 1.0 mg/l BAP and 1.0 mg/l IAA, without a statistical difference. REFERENCES DHAWAN K, DHAWAN S, SHARMA A. 2004. Passiflora: a review update. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 94: 1–23. OżAROWSKI M, THIEM B. 2008. Kultury in vitro Passiflora quadrangularis L. i P. caerulea L. – wstępne badania nad indukcją kalusa i organogenezą. Zeszyt abstraktów. VIII Ogólnopolska Konferencja "Kultury in vitro w fizjologii roślin". Polska Akademia Nauk, Kraków, 4–5 grudnia 2008 r. 55 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Cryopreservation of in vitro grown shoot buds of rose 'New Dawn' using encapsulation-dehydration method Bożena Pawłowska, Anna Bach Department of Ornamental Plants, Agricultural University of Cracow, Al. 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Cracow, e-mail: [email protected] In the present study, a protocol for preservation in liquid nitrogen by encapsulation-dehydration method of shoot meristems of the park rose 'New Dawn' has been developed. Shoot apical and axillary meristems about 2 mm in diameter were collected from plants propagated in vitro on the mineral medium according to Quoirin et al. (1977) supplemented with 5 μM BA, 0.3 μM GA3, 0.5 μM NAA and 0.06 M sucrose. Moreover, some explants for cryopreservation were pre-cultured on the medium containing a higher sucrose level (0.25 M) for 8 weeks. Before encapsulation some explants were cultivated on medium supplemented with 2.5 g dm-3 activated charcoal for 3 days. After encapsulation plant material was dehydrated by the quick method (capsules were placed in liquid medium containing 0.75 M sucrose for 18 h) or by the gradual method (capsules were transferred to liquid solutions of media with sucrose concentrations increasing from 0.3 M to 1 M for 7 consecutive days). Results indicate that the survival rate of plant tissue after freezing in liquid nitrogen depended on plant mate- rial: apical meristems of roses regenerated callus and shoots but axillary meristems did not survive the freezing. Cutting capsules after freezing did not influence the regeneration of the cryopreserved plant explants. It was shown that the slow dehydration method used in preparation of plant material for cryopreservation allowed to obtain viable tissues of Rosa 'New Dawn'. After cryopreservation, 34% of explants incubated on the pre-culture medium supplemented with a high level of sucrose (0.25M) and activated charcoal developed shoots. REFERENCES QUOIRIN M, LEPOIVRE P And BOXUS P. 1977. Un premier bilan de 10 annees de recherches sur les cultures de meristemes st la multiplication in vitro de fruitiers ligneus. In: C.R.Rech. 1976–1977 et repports de Synthese, Stat. des Cult. Fruit. Et Maraich. Glemblous: 93–117 WANG QC and LAAMANEN J. 2005. Cryopreservation of in vitrogrown shoot tips of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) by encapsulation-vitrification and encapsulation-dehydratation. Plant Cell Reports 24: 280–288. Optimization of medium for callus induction and plant regeneration of Miscanthus × giganteus Agnieszka Płażek1, Franciszek Dubert2 1 Department of Plant Physiology, Agricultural University of Cracow, Podłużna 3, 30-239 Cracow, Poland e-mail: [email protected] 2 Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 21, 30-239 Cracow, Poland e-mail: [email protected] Miscanthus × giganteus is a sterile triploid, which reproduces only vegetatively from rootstocks (Lewandowski, 2006). The result of vegetative reproduction is a small range of genetic variability within this species. The in vitro culture can be used as a method to increase its genetic variability via somaclonal embryogenesis. Miscanthus produces a lot of phenolics, which, when oxidized and secreted into the medium, show toxicity to tissue development. The aim of this work was to optimize composition of medium for callus induction and plant regeneration. The medium inducing callus was supplemented with compounds that inhibit oxidization of phenolics. Callus was induced from immature inflorescences on MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) medium containing 6.5 mg dm-3 2.4 D, 0.25 mg dm-3 BAP, 500 mg dm-3 of casein hydrolysate and 30 g dm-3 of sucrose as a control and on the same medium supplemented with 1) 200 mg dm-3 of chitosane; 2) 65 g dm-3 of banana pulp; 3) 100 mg dm-3 of cysteine; 4) 30 g dm-3 of honey instead of sucrose. Callus was induced at 25°C in the dark. After 2 months, callus was transferred onto regeneration MS medium supple- 56 mented with 1) 0.2 mg dm-3 of BAP or 2) 0.2 mg dm-3 of kinetin. Regeneration was performed at 20°C in the light (PPFD=300 mol m-2 s-1). The best initiation of callus with numerous somatic embryos was observed on MS medium containing honey (84% of all explants) and banana pulp (79%), while on control medium such callus tissue was obtained with 54% frequency. On the regeneration medium with 0.2 mg of BAP no plants were obtained, while on medium containing 0.2 mg dm-3 of kinetin, 52 plants were obtained but only from calli induced on medium supplemented with banana pulp. REFERENCES LEWANDOWSKI I. 2006. Miscanthus – a multifunctional biomass crop for the future. In: Jeżowski S, Wojciechowicz MK, Zenkteler E [eds.], Alternative plants for sustainable agriculture. PAGEN, Centre of Excellence in Plant Agrobiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznań, vol. 5: 83–90. MURASHIGE T, SKOOG F. 1962. A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco tissue cultures. Physiologia Plantarum 15: 473–497. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Initiation of an in vitro culture of elder (Sambucus nigra L.) meristems with the use of various sterilizers Beata Płoszaj1, Jerzy Przyborowski2 1 Department of Horticulture, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prawocheńskiego 21, 10-719 Olsztyn, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Production, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-719 Olsztyn, e-mail: [email protected] Elder (Sambucus nigra L.) is a shrub from the family Caprifoliaceae. It is used in phytotherapy, food processing industry and as a decorative plant. The objective of this study was to develop an effective method for surface sterilization of initial material for in vitro cultures of elder var. Aurea. The initial material consisted of axillary and apical buds sampled from the shoots of shrubs grown at the Experimental Station of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. Shoot samples were collected at the beginning of the growing season in 2007 and 2008. Buds were isolated from the shoots, rinsed under running water for 1 hour and then immersed in water with the addition of a detergent for 5 minutes. Prior to disinfection, buds were immersed in 70% ethanol for 30 seconds. The material was disinfected with various combinations of disinfectants applied over different periods of time. Treatment 1 involved the use of 0.1% mercury chloride (HgCl2) for 60, 120 and 240 seconds. In treatment 2, buds were disinfected with 3% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) for 5, 10, 15 and 30 minutes. In treatment 3, the samples were disin- fected with 0.1% mercury chloride (HgCl2) for 60, 120 and 240 seconds, after which the incisions were immersed in silver nitrate (AgNO3). In the last treatment, plant material was immersed in a calcium hypochlorite [Ca(OCl)2] solution for 5, 10 and 15 minutes. After sterilization, buds were rinsed three times in sterile distilled water. Explants of tissue fragments containing the meristem were isolated from the disinfected material. Every explant was placed in a 10 ml test tube containing 1.5 ml MS medium (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) whose macronutrient and micronutrient contents were reduced by half. Culture media were additionally enriched with 8 g·dm-3 agar and 30 g·dm-3 saccharose. The medium pH was set at 5.5 before autoclaving. Every tratment was represented by 20 explants. Incubation was carried out in a phytotron at 23°C with 16 h of light exposure. The highest percentage share of sterile plants occurred in cultures where the initial material was disinfected with calcium hypochlorite. In the remaining treatments infections were more prevalent and led to the death of explants within a short time. The effect of kinetin content in the culture medium on micropropagation of elder (Sambucus nigra L.) Beata Płoszaj1, Jerzy Przyborowski2 1 Department of Horticulture, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prawocheńskiego 21, 10-719 Olsztyn, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Production, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-719 Olsztyn, e-mail: [email protected] Elder var. Aurea is an attractive decorative shrub with golden yellow leaves that maintain their color throughout the growing period. Elder shrubs of this variety reach 2 meters in height, and they create a highly attractive combination when set against plants with dark foliage. As an additional advantage, this elder variety has low soil requirements. This study investigated the effect of the kinetin content in the culture medium on in vitro micropropagation of elder var. Aurea. The experiment was carried out on a medium (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) whose micronutrient and macronutrient contents were reduced by half, enriched with 8 g·dm-3 agar and 30 g·dm3 saccharose. The medium pH was adjusted to 5.5 before autoclaving. Plant material was obtained from a sterile and stable culture. Explants consisting of two nodes were placed individually in 10 ml test tubes containing 1.5 ml Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 medium each. The kinetin (KIN) concentrations used in the experiment were: 2, 4 and 6 mg·dm-3. Each treatment was represented by 40 explants. After an 18-week propagation cycle (3 subcultures), the propagation ratio was computed for every treatment, and the morphological characters of the plants were assessed. The highest propagation ratio occurred in the treatment with 4 mg·dm-3 kinetin. Most plants growing in this medium were not affected by any developmental anomalies. Lower propagation ratios were noted in culture media with the lower kinetin content, while higher concentrations of this phytohormone resulted in similar or lower propagation ratios. The resulting plants were characterized by short internodes, fewer and smaller leaves and lower root mass. 57 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ ISSR analysis of genetic stability of Polish tulip cultivars propagated in vitro Małgorzata Podwyszyńska, Anita Kuras, Małgorzata Korbin Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, Pomologiczna 18, 96-100 Skierniewice, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] The aim of the study was an early detection of somaclonal variation (SV) which could occur within the micropropagated plant material. Shoot cultures of nine Polish cultivars were used. They were propagated in vitro for one or two years. Plant material was propagated in vitro by the means of adventitious shoot regeneration in the presence of thidiazuron (Podwyszyńska and Marasek, 2003). The SV was detected with the inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. For ISSR analysis, leaf samples were taken from in vitro propagated plant material and from conventionally propagated true-to-type plants which served as standards. Ten ISSR primers were used (TIBMOLBIOL, Poznań and IBB, Warszawa): 824, 843, 844, 845, 846, 852, 853, 857, 973 and 895. The DNA extraction was performed using the DNA purification kits Genomic Mini AX PLANT (A&A Biotechnology). The molecular markers were first used for cultivar identification and then for the detection of SV. The degree of genetic similarity between the micropropagated plants and the standard of each cultivar was calculated based on the number of monomorphic and polymorphic bands. The Cafe-Jaccard coefficient was used to plot a den- drogram using the UPGMA method. The statistical analyses were performed in XLSTAT software environment (Addinsoft, 2006). The UPGMA dendrogram of genetic similarity showed nine clusters grouping cultivars, their standards and micropropagated plants. For the six studied genotypes, the ISSR analysis, performed with ten primers, did not reveal polymorphisms between the standard and the micropropagated plants. Analysis of the other three cultivars showed that some of the plants, micropropagated for either one or two years, differed slightly from standards (in cultivar A, three of the five analyzed plants; in cultivar B, two of the four plants); whereas in cultivar C, all plant showed a high (96%) similarity. These results indicate that the changes in DNA structure may occur during the first year of the plant micropropagating process. REFERENCE PODWYSZYŃSKA M, MARASEK A. 2003. Effect of thidiazuron and paclobutrazol on regeneration potential of tulip flower stalk explants in vitro and subsequent shoot multiplication. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 72:181–190. Evaluation of somaclonal variation in micropropagated Hemerocallis sp. plants using phenotype and ISSR markers Małgorzata Podwyszyńska1, Eleonora Gabryszewska1, Małgorzata Korbin1, Artur Jasiński2 1 Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, Pomologiczna 18, 96-100 Skierniewice, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Horticulture, Wierzbowa 1, 05-820 Piastów, Poland The genetic fidelity of micropropagated daylily plants was evaluated by phenotypic observation and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) techniques. Plants of nine daylily cultivars were used in this study. The plants which were propagated in vitro for the period of one to five years, were then grown outdoors in the years 2002 to 2006. The observations comprised 1600 plants and concerned the number and quality of flowering plants. The colour, the size and the shape of flowers were evaluated and compared to the published cultivar descriptions in accordance with American Hemerocallis Society (AHS). The nine selected somaclones were analized with ISSR markers in order to determine the character of variation. The first micropropagated plants flowered sporadically in the first growing season. In the second season, the highest percentage of flowering plants was found for the cultivar 'Moonlit Masquerade' (84%) and the lowest for 'Pink Debutante' (20%). The latter cultivar had the flowering rate of 70–100% in the third season. In general, the length of flower stems of all studied cultivars was similar to the lengths given in the AHS cultivar descriptions. Somaclonal variants occurred within the micropropagated plants of the five genotypes. The somaclones differed from the true-to-type plants in terms of the colour and the 58 shape of flowers. The frequency of SV ranged from 1.4% to 100%. In 'Moonlit Masquerade', 62.6% of plants developed flowers with narrower petals and a smaller brown eye compared to the true-to-type. In 2006, for 'Ruby Moon', the colour of the eye was changed from ruby-red to a lighter colour in all of the plants, while in 2007 this was observed only for 25% of the plants. For 'Pink Debutante', only one plant was found with a malformed flower in the first growing season, while in the second season, the SV frequency was 11.1%. The observation performed during 2004–2006 revealed that for 'Amethyst Jewel' the colour of all the flowers changed from light amethyst-violet to light grey pink. However, in 2007, all plants of this cultivar had flowers with colour similar to the type. Four cultivars appeared to be genetically stable. The ISSR analyses of the selected somaclones revealed that the phenotypic changes observed had the characteristics of a mutation. To summarize: 1) the SV frequency depends on the genotype, 2) a reliable information on the SV, introduced during the in vitro propagation, can be obtain when more than 70% of the plants have flowered; this can occur as early as in the second or third growing season. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Frequencies of spontaneous doubled haploids of winter triticale plants obtained by anther culture Aleksandra Ponitka, Aurelia Ślusarkiewicz-Jarzina, Jolanta Woźna, Hanna Pudelska Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, e-mail: [email protected] The haploids and spontaneous doubled haploids are obtained with varying efficiency in the process of cereal androgenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the production frequency of spontaneous doubled haploids in winter triticale plants derived from anther culture. Anthers from ten F1 hybrids of winter triticale 5953 were plated on a C17 medium containing 0.5 mg/l KIN + 2.0 mg/l 2,4-D + 90 g/l maltose. 5412 (average of 91.2%) embryo-like structures were obtained (29.7 to 150.4%, depending on the genotype), from which 463 green plants were regenerated (average of 7.8% in relation to anthers plated and from 2.2 to 26.7% depending on the genotype) on a 190-2 medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l KIN + 0.5 mg/l NAA + 30g/l sucrose. The ploidy levels of green plants were determined by flow cytometry of the DNA content of DAPI – stained nuclei from leaves. Among the 463 green regenerants analyzed, 239 (average of 51.6%) were spontaneous double haploid, with frequency varying from 32.1 to 85.7%, depending on the genotypes. The identified haploid plants were subjected to colchicine treatment (0.1% aqueous solution of colchicine was used together with 4% DMSO and 25 mg/l GA3 for 6 hours in the light at 25°C). All plants were potted and vernalized for 8 weeks at 4°C, and then moved to the greenhouse where they were grown to maturity. The efficiency of chromosome doubling was determined based on the fertility of spontaneous doubled haploids as well as individuals subjected to colchicine treatment. Isolation and in vitro culture of endosperm tissues in selected monocot and dicot species Marzena Popielarska-Konieczna1, Marta Braś1, Krystian Rzenno1, Maciej Łojewski1, Izabela Marcińska2 1 Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Jagiellonian University, Grodzka 52, 31-044 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Institute of Plant Physiology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 21, 30-239 Cracow, Poland The competence of isolated endosperms of selected important crop plants for proliferation and differentiation in vitro was assessed on culture media supplemented with the plant growth regulators. Mature endosperm tissues were excised from seeds of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa cv. Hayward). Ovules of eight cultivars of winter, spring and durum wheat (Triticum aestivum and T. durum) and two lines of T. monococcum were used as sources of immature endosperm. The basal medium consisting of MS salts and vitamins was supplemented with 3% (w/v) sucrose, auxin (2,4-D), cytokinins (kinetine, thidiazuron – TDZ) and 5-azacytidine (5-azaC). Culture were incubated in the dark or exposed to a 16 h photoperiod provided by cool-white fluorescent tubes (60–90 μmol photons m-2 s-1). The material for sectioning (freshly isolated and cultured endosperm) was prepared by embedding tissues in Technovit 7100 (Heraeus Kulzer) and stained with toluidine blue or auramine O. In kiwifruit the long-term culture of endospermderived callus, organogenesis induction and histological events have been described previously (Popielarska et al., 2006; Popielarska-Konieczna et al., 2008). In the present work localization of cutine on callus and meristematic protuberances were examined. Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 Studies on proliferation and histological analysis of isolated endosperm of heksaploid plants T. aestivum, tetraploid T. durum and diploid T. monococcum cultured in vitro have been described recently (PopielarskaKonieczna et al., in press). The present experiments were conducted on immature endosperm tissues isolated from 6–8 DAP-old grains of T. aestivum. Flowers and/or isolated endosperm were treated with 5-azaC. The aim of the experiment was to induce hypomethylation and expression of silencing genes. REFERENCES POPIELARSKA M, ŚLESAK H, GÓRALSKI G. 2006. Histological and SEM studies on organogenesis in endosperm-derived callus of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa cv. Hayward). Acta Biologica Cracoviensia Series Botanica 48: 97–104. POPIELARSKA-KONIECZNA M, KOZIERADZKA-KISZKURNO M, ŚWIERCZYŃSKA J, GÓRALSKI G, ŚLESAK H, BOHDANOWICZ J. 2008. Ultrastructure and histochemical analysis of extracellular matrix surface network in kiwifruit endosperm-derived callus culture. Plant Cell Reports 27: 1137–1145. POPIELARSKA-KONIECZNA M, MARCIŃSKA I, NOWAKOWSKI P. Preliminary studies on isolated endosperm of wheat (Triticum) species cultured in vitro. Advances of Agricultural Sciences Problem Issues (in press). 59 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Micropropagation of Leucojum aestivum in a temporary immersion bioreactor system (RITA) Agata Ptak, Joanna Gądek Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Science, Agricultural University of Cracow, Łobzowska 24, 31-140 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Leucojum aestivum belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae, the alkaloids of which are known to exhibit a wide range of biological activities. Galanthamine, an acetylocholinesterase inhibitor, is used for symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer's disease (Heinrih and Lee Teoh, 2004). Our previously published results have shown that in vitro cultures of L. aestivum are a source of galanthamine and other Amaryllidaceae alkaloids (Ptak et al., 2009). In order to optimize somatic embryogenesis of L. aestivum we used RITA temporary immersion bioreactor systems (TIBS). Embryogenic callus obtained by the method described previously was transferred to solid and liquid MS media (Ptak et al., 2009). Liquid cultures were carried out in RITA vessels, and every 2 hours 5 or 15-minute flushing with the medium was applied. The medium was supplemented with: picloram (2, 5, 10, 25 μM) and BAP (0.5 μM). Callus growth on the solid medium enriched with 2 or 5 μM of picloram and 0.5 μM of BAP was characterized by a higher multiplication index. However, the greatest number of somatic embryos was observed on the callus multiplied on the liquid medium containing 2 μM of picloram and 0.5 μM of BAP, while using 5-minute flush- ing with the medium every 2 hours. Globular embryos developed into torpedo-stage embryos under the influence of NAA (0.5 μM) and zeatin (5 μM). In our experiment, the TIBS also promoted the development of L. aestivum somatic embryos. Torpedo embryos derived from RITA vessels were characterized by a greater increase in fresh weight compared with the embryos cultivated on the solid medium. The RITA derived embryos converted into normal plantlets on the medium enriched with NAA (0.5 μM) and zeatin (5 μM). The analysis of the ploidy level of the regenerated L. aestivum plantlets from the solid medium and the RITA TIBS did not reveal any changes. REFERENCES HEINRICH M, LEE TEOH H. 2004. Galanthamine from snowdropthe development of a modern drug against Alzheimer's disease from local Caucasian knowledge. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 92(2–3): 147–62. PTAK A, TAHCHY AE, DUPIRE F, BOISBRUN M, HENRY M, CHAPLEUR Y, MOŚ M, LAURAIN-MATTAR D. 2009. LCMS and GCMS for the screening of alkaloids in natural and in vitro extracts of Leucojum aestivum. Journal of Natural Prododucts 72 (1): 142–147. Preliminary analysis of polyphenolic fraction from intact plant and in vitro cultures of Securinega suffruticosa Danuta Raj1, Adam Kokotkiewicz2 , Agnieszka Skorys1 , Maria Łuczkiewicz2 1 Chair and Department of Pharmacognosy, Wrocław Medical University, pl. Nankiera 1, 50-140 Wroclaw, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Chair and Department of Pharmacognosy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdańsk Securinega suffruticosa, Phyllanthaceae, is one of the basic Chinese folk medicines used in the treatment of various diseases, e.g. rheumatoid disease or quadriplegia (Yuan et al., 2005). Many studies have been conducted on the alkaloid fraction of the plant, however there are very few reports on other types of compounds, especially on the polyphenolic constituents (Lee, 1994; 1996). To better understand the complex mode of action of plant medicines, we need to detect all the physiologically active compounds. Considering the well known health promoting properties of polyphenolics, it seemed advisable to analyze flavonoids, tannins and phenolic acids from S. suffruticosa. Plant tissue cultures are considered to be an interesting source of attractive secondary metabolites, allowing the production of biologically active compounds in a controlled way, independent of climatic conditions and seasonality. Considering the potential ability of some plant cell cultures to accumulate high amounts of polyphenolic compounds, it seemed pertinent to investigate in vitro cell cultures of this plant. The aim of this work was to determine qualitatively and quantitatively the main compounds of the polypheno- 60 lic fraction from S. suffruticosa in vitro cultures and compare them with results from intact plant grown under Polish conditions. To this end, callus cultures, shoot cultures and tissues of intact plants were analyzed with respect to their polyphenolic fraction. Moreover, all plant matrices were compared to each other to determine "the best producer" of the analyzed compounds. Calli were grown on the Schenk – Hildebrandt (SH) medium and SH medium modified with plant growth regulators; shoots were grown on the Murashige for Lilium (ML) medium. TLC was the method of choice for the preliminary qualitative analyses. For the quantitative analyses of polyphenols HPLC with DAD UV detection was chosen. REFERENCES LEE S. 1994. Chemical study on the phenolic compounds from the leaves of Securinega suffruticosa, Sayengyak Hakhoechi 25: 105–112. LEE S. 1996. Phenolic compounds from stems of Securinega suffruticosa, Korean. Journal of Pharmacognosy 27: 1–5. YUAN W, LU Z, LIU Y, MENG C, CHENG K, ZHU P. 2005. Three new podocarpane-type diterpenoids from callus of Securinega suffruticosa, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin 53: 1610–1612. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Agrobacterium rhizogenes serves cytogenetics Magdalena Rojek, Marta Dydak, Jolanta Kwasniewska, Karolina Walas, Elzbieta Wolny, Krystyna Nowak, Jolanta Małuszynska Department of Plant Anatomy and Cytology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia, Jagiellonska 28, 40-032 Katowice, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Transformation using Agrobacterium rhizogenes has become a very popular and widely used method in plant biotechnology. A. rhizogenes is a Gram negative soil bacterium, a natural pathogen of many plants. In the process of plant tissue infection, a fragment of the bacterial Ri plasmid, the T-DNA, is transferred and integrated with the plant genome. Expression of specific bacterial genes from T-DNA cause the production of hairy roots. This natural process has been used to produce hairy roots from many different species. Hairy roots have several characteristic features which makes them noteworthy and easy to work with. The hairy roots culture is a valuable source of material in different areas of studies, such as bioproduct and secondary metabolite production or phytoremediation. In this work we present the use of hairy roots in cytogenetics studies. A hairy root culture is a very good tool for maintaining rare genotypes for further analysis, especially if species are not self-fertilizing. Hairy root cultures are usually cytogenetically stable for a long time, but in some species, such as Brassica, chromosome elimination or chromosomal rearrangements may occur. A large number of root tips with many dividing cells in a hairy roots culture, makes cytogenetic analysis much easier than using seedlings. Additionally, chemical treatment e.g. with hydroxyurea can increase the metaphase index even to 50%. Such a high metaphase index together with a large number of root tips in the culture create the possibility for chromosome isolation using flow cytometer equipped with sorter. We discuss the use of hairy roots from long and short term cultures in cytogenetic analysis of individual chromosomes and interphase nuclei with different numbers of B chromosomes. Also we have used C. capillaris hairy roots for evaluation of genotoxicity. Comparison of cytogenetic effects in hairy roots and roots of seedlings showed a much higher sensitivity of hairy roots, which makes them a convenient material for monitoring the DNA damage after mutagenic treatment. Use of wide crossing and in vitro culture for the induction of haploid embryogenesis in three cereal species Michał Rokicki, Andrzej Wojciechowski Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71c, 60-625 Poznań, e-mail: [email protected] Wide crossing is an important tool for expansion of variability and for haploid production. The bulbosum method is one of the oldest approaches, in which crosses of cultivated barley with wild Hordeum bulbosum are made to help produce haploid plants. In other cereal species crosses with maize are more popular. There is evidence in the literature showing that pollination of cereals with maize pollen results in haploids production (Lauriea and Benett, 1986; Wędzony, 1999). However, there are also doubts concerning the actual fertilization. Therefore, the aim of this work was to explain whether there is a complete conjunction of maize sperm with cereal egg cell or whether the presence of maize sperm is sufficient for the induction of embryogenesis from an unpollinated cereal egg cell. Crosses of three cereal species (wheat, triticale and rye) with maize were carried out in a greenhouse belonging to the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Poznań University of Natural Sciences. Spikes of these species were castrated shortly before earing. The pollination was conducted from 2 to 6 days after castration. Next Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 day after pollination the ears were sprayed with 50 mg l-1 solutions of 2,4-D and picloram. Embryos or ovules from wide pollinations were isolated and placed on White or MS medium depending on the embryo developmental stage. For the observation of pollen grain germination and pollen tube growth, the pollinated pistils were fixed in the Carnoy solution and stained with aniline blue (Martin, 1959). Based on our results it can be concluded that there were differences in the intensity of pollen tube growth and the development of embryos between particular crosscombinations. REFERENCES LAURIE DA, BENNETT MD. 1986. Wheat × maize hybridization. Canadian Journal of Genetics and Cytology 28: 313–316. MARTIN F. 1959. Staining and observing pollen tubes by means of fluorescence. Stain Technology 34: 125–128. WĘDZONY M. 1999. Wpływ analogów auksyn na aktywność otrzymywania linii podwojonych haploidów pszenżyta i pszenicy metodą krzyżowania z kukurydzą. Monografie: 9, Zakład Fizjologii Roślin PAN, Kraków. 61 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Phenolic acids in in vitro cultures of Exacum affine Balf. f. Ewa Skrzypczak-Pietraszek1, Jacek Pietraszek2 1 Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Institute of Applied Computer Science, Cracow University of Technology, Jana Pawła II 37, 31-864 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Plant tissue cultures can be the source of many various secondary metabolites (Malepszy, 2001). Exacum affine Balf. f. (Gentianaceae) grows on Socotra Island (Aden Bay). In Poland it is known as a decorative pot plant. Secondary metabolites such as secoiridoid glucosides, flavonoids, phenolic acids and saponins were found in plants of the genus Exacum (Das et al., 1984). Chemical composition of Exacum affine has been only partly analysed (Kuwajima et al., 1996). The only known phenolic acid that has been reported from this plant is pcoumaric acid. We found no literature information on chemical analysis of in vitro cultures of Exacum affine. The aim of the present investigation was chemical analysis of phenolic acids in in vitro cultures of Exacum affine Balf. f. and their comparison with constituents of pot plants of this species. Free and bound phenolic acids were determined. In vitro cultures of Exacum affine (shoot cultures) were maintained on the MS medium supplemented with BAP (1 mg/l), NAA (0.5 mg/l), GA3 (0.25 mg/l). Dried plant materials (shoots from in vitro cultures and aerial parts of pot plants) were extracted with methanol. Additional samples of plant materials were hydrolysed with 2 M HCL before extraction. Methanolic extracts were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed by HPLC. Compounds were detected at 254 nm. The identification of phenolic acids was accomplished by the comparison of their retention times with standards and followed by the internal standard method. Some phenolic acids were identified in the investigated extracts (protocatechic, p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, syringic, p-coumaric and ferulic acid). Free phenolic acids were usually present in small or even trace amounts. More compounds were found after hydrolysis. REFERENCES DAS S, SHARMA RP, BARUAH JN, KULANTHAIVEL P. 1984. Secoiridoids from Exacum tetragonum. Phytochemistry 23: 908–909. KUWAJIMA H, SHIBANO N, BABA T, TAKAISHHI K, INOUE K, SHINGU T. 1996. An acetophenone glycoside from Exacum affine. Phytochemistry 41: 289–292. MALEPSZY S. 2001. Biotechnologia roślin. PWN, Warszawa. Induction of androgenesis in oat (Avena sativa L.) depending on kind of culture medium Edyta Skrzypek, Izabela Marcińska, Agata Stawicka, Ilona Czyczyło-Mysza, Marta Pilipowicz The F. Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 21, 30-239 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] The production of doubled haploids under laboratory conditions allows to obtain a high level of homozygotic DH lines, to shorten the breeding time and to increase the selection effectiveness of required genotypes. However androgenic response of plants highly depends on the species and even genotype. An extremely low efficiency of androgenesis is observed in oat in comparison to wheat or triticale. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of type and physical properties of the medium on anther vitality and induction of embryo like structures (ELS). Five F1 generations, nine F2 generations and two cultivars of oat were used. Donor plants were grown in the greenhouse. Anthers were isolated after a cold pretreatment and cultured on solid media: C17 (Wang and Chen, 1983), W14 (Ouyang et al., 1989) and modified W14 (Kiviharju et al., 2005) or on a liquid and semi-solid modified W14. The analyses of results showed that anther 62 vitality and ELS formation mostly depended on oat genotype and kind of media but less on media fluidity. Forty one ELS were obtained from eleven genotypes. The ELS from five genotypes regenerated eight plants. Only two plants survived colchicine treatment used for chromosome doubling. REFERENCES KIVIHARJU E, MOISANDER S, LAURILA J. 2005. Improved green plant regeneration rates from oat anther culture and thr agronomic performance of some DH lines. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 81: 1–9. OUYANG JW, JIA SE, ZHANG C, CHEN X, FENG G. 1989. A new synthetic medium (W14) for wheat anther culture. Ann Rep Inst Genet Aca Sinica, Beijing, China, 91–92. WANG P, CHEN Y. 1983. Preliminary study on prediction of height of pollen H2 generation in winter wheat grown in the field. Acta Agronomica Sinica 9: 283–284. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Evaluation of phenotypic trueness-to-type for selected cultivars of narcissus propagated by in vitro cultures Dariusz Sochacki Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, Pomologiczna 18, 96-100 Skierniewice, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Micropropagation of 13 narcissus genotypes was carried out in 2001. After acclimation, the plants were cultivated in an insect-proof mesh tunnel. Single plants of two cultivars ('Tete-a-Tete' and 'Golden Ducat') produced first flowers in 2004. The following year, eight cultivars were in full blossom after 4 years of ex vitro cultivation. All blooming plants of 11 cultivars were evaluated according to UPOV descriptors during the next two growing seasons – 2006 and 2007. Nineteen morphological characteristics, including the shape and colour of perianth segments, and the type, shape and colour of corona, were observed and measured. The observations of plants propagated in vitro were compared with the observations of the same cultivars growing in the field and propagated traditionally, or with the descriptions available in the literature. Narcissi obtained via in vitro propagation, showed no phenotypic differences in comparison with the initial genotypes. Small differences in the colour gradation of flowers or the length of flower stems were a result of growing conditions. The lower colour intensity in the case of plants cultivated in the mesh tunnel was probably caused by extensive shading due to the very dense mesh. However, in the case of one cultivar – 'Marie-Jose' from the split-corona group, significant modifications in the shape and colour of perianth segments were observed. A considerable fraction of plants (22%) showed no creamy-white stripes on the orange split corona. In addition, changes in the corona (from split, via partly split, to completely connate, like in small-cupped narcissi) were noticed. Methyl jasmonate and fosmidomycin affect mono- and sesquiterpenoid production in root cultures of Inula royleana DC. and Inula macrocephala Boiss. & Kotschy ex Boiss. Anna Stojakowska, Janusz Malarz Department of Phytochemistry, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, 31-343 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Root cultures of Inula macrocephala and Inula royleana were obtained as described by Stojakowska et al. (2006) and cultivated either in WP (Lloyd and McCown, 1980) or in 1/2 GB5 (Gamborg et al., 1968) liquid media, respectively, at 25°C in the dark. The cultures produced monoterpenoids (thymol derivatives) and sesquiterpene lactones of eudesmane type. Methyl jasmonate or fosmidomycin solution was added to the flasks containing 20 day old cultures, to reach the final concentration of 100 μM in the nutrient medium. Roots from both treated and control cultures were harvested 72 h after the beginning of experiment, frozen and lyophilized. Contents of selected mono- and sesquiterpenoids were measured by means of analytical RP-HPLC (Stojakowska et al., 2006). Jasmonates are elicitor signal transducers for the production of secondary metabolites in plants and plant tissue cultures. Methyl jasmonate added to I. macrocephala and I. royleana root cultures caused an enhanced accumulation of eudesmanolides and thymol derivatives in the roots. The eudesmanolide content in the treated cultures was up to four fold higher than that in the controls. The C5 unit (IPP) for isoprenoid biosynthesis in plants is gen- Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 erated either through the plastidic (GAP, DXP or MEP) or the cytoplasmic (mevalonate) pathway. Mono- and diterpene biosynthesis is generally attributed to the plastidic compartment of the plant cell. In contrast, the enzyme responsible for the C15 isoprenoid chain (FPP) synthesis seems to be bound to the cytoplasmic compartment. Fosmidomycin, an inhibitor of the plastidic pathway of terpenoid biosynthesis, decreased monoterpenoid production in the Inula roots, as expected. The eudesmanolide content remained unaffected. REFERENCES GAMBORG OL, MILLER RA, OJIMA K. 1968. Nutrient requirements of suspension cultures of soybean root cells. Experimental Cell Research 50: 151–158. LLOYD G, MCCOWN B. 1980. Commercially-feasible micropropagation of mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia by use of shoot-tip culture. The International Plant Propagators Society 30: 421–427 STOJAKOWSKA A, MICHALSKA K, MALARZ J. 2006. Simultaneous quantification of eudesmanolides and thymol derivatives from tissues of Inula helenium and I. royleana by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Phytochemical Analysis 17: 157–161. 63 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Mycelial cultures of some Aphyllophorales (Basidiomycetes): optimization of in vitro culture conditions Katarzyna Sułkowska-Ziaja, Bożena Muszyńska Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum, Medyczna 9, 301-688 Cracow, Poland Sarcodon imbricatus (L.) P. Karst., Sparassis crispa Wulf.: Fr. and Hydnum repandum L.: Fr. are species of fungi belonging to Aphyllophorales (Basidiomycetes). S. imbricatus and S. crispa are under strict legal protection in Poland. In vitro cultures were established from fruit bodies growing naturally in the forests of southern Poland. The aim of this study was to optimize the conditions of submerged culture for mycelial biomass increments (MBI) during 4 week cycles of culture. The optimal medium composition for submerged culture was determined. To investigate the effect of carbon and nitrogen source on hyphal growth, the mycelium was cultivated on the medium containing various carbon (fructose, glucose, maltose, lactose, sucrose) and nitrogen (amonium nitrate, sodium nitrate, casein hydrolyzate of, malt extract, yeast extract) sources. Additionally the optimum initial value of pH and optimal temperature for mycelial increment were determined. The optimal medium composition for biomass increment of Sarcodon imbricatus was 5% fructose (MBI=8.0 g d.w/dm3) and 1% casein hydrolyzate (MBI=9.6 g d.w/dm3). Maximal growth of biomass was observed at initial pH 6.0 (MBI=4.8 g d.w/dm3) and the optimal temperature of incubation was 30°C (MBI=9.4 g d.w/dm3). The optimal medium composition for biomass increments of Sparassis crispa was 5% glucose (MBI=13.7 g d.w/dm3) and 1% casein hydrolyzate (MBI=7.95 g d.w/dm3). Maximal growth of biomass was observed at initial pH 6.0 (MBI=9.92 g d.w/dm3) and optimal temperature of incubation was 30°C (MBI=7.95 g d.w/dm3). The optimal medium composition for biomass increments of Hydnum repandum was 5% glucose (MBI=11.0 g d.w/dm3) and 1% casein hydrolyzate (MBI=14.7 g d.w/dm3). Maximal growth of biomass was observed at initial pH=6.0 (MBI=9.8g d.w/dm3) and optimal temperature of incubation was 25°C (MBI=9.6 g d.w/dm3). Preliminary investigation of chemical compounds from these species showed the presence of endo- and egzogenic amino acids, fatty acids and phenolic acids. All these compounds were determined by chromatographic methods (TLC, HPLC). These results show that submerged cultures of investigated fungi species could make a useful subject for future chemical analysis. Molecular characterization of resynthesized oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) Laurencja Szała, Anna Olejnik, Teresa Cegielska-Taras Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute, Department of Genetic and Breeding of Oilseed Crops, Strzeszyńska 36, 60-479 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L; genome AACC, 2n =38) is a relatively young species that originated through a spontaneous hybridization between turnip rape (Brassica rapa L.; genome AA, 2n=20) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea L., genome CC, 2n=18). Today oilseed rape is one of the most important oilseed crops in the world. However, its limited geographical range has led to a comparatively narrow genetic basis currently available for breeding. Resynthesized (RS) rapeseed genotypes developed through interspecific crosses between different B. rapa and B. oleracea genotypes have the potential to increase significantly the available gene pool and provide important 64 germplasm base for further improvement of seed quality and resistance to biotic and abiotic stress. Embryo rescue techniques considerably assist in obtaining distant hybrids in cases when hybrid embryos abort at early stages of development. This work focuses on the development of interspecific hybrids between Brassica rapa L. subsp. pekinensis and Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala subsp. lanciniata through embryo rescue culture in vitro. The objectives of this research were: to develop an in vitro culture system for hybridization and to analyze the regenerated resynthesized plants using RAPD molecular markers. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Anti-inflammatory properties of transgenic flax fiber extract Monika Sztajnert1, Katarzyna Ratajczak1,2, Anna Kulma1 and Jan Szopa1 1 Department of Genetic Biochemistry, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63/77, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland, Department of Traumatology and Hand Surgery, Wrocław Medical University, Borowska 213, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland 2 Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a very important source of natural fibers used by the textile industry and also a source of valuable oil. Also seed cakes left after oil pressing contain many valuable components. Flax oil and seed cake meal is widely used for its health promoting properties. Many health-promoting components have been identified to date, including lignans, phenylopropanoids and Omega 3 fatty acids. However, most data concern compounds found in flax seeds. We observed the anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties of wound dressing made of transgenic flax fibers and so we decided to identify compounds present in flax fibers responsible for those properties. Several components of fiber extract were identified by UPLC method, including phenolic acids and terpenoids. One of the most interesting compounds found were cannabinoid derivatives, not reported previously from flax fibers,. Therefore we concentrated our research on cannabinoid-like compounds know for their anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. The effects of flax fiber extract on the expression levels of cannabinoid receptor and several pro- and anti -inflammatory genes were tested in mouse 3T3 Balb cell line in which the inflammation state was mimicked by LPS or TNFa treatment. The gene expression was estimated by means of semi-quantitative PCR. The most interesting finding was the induction of anti-inflammatory SOCS1 (suppressor of cytokine signaling) gene and a decrease in the expression of Interleukin 6 and MCP-1 (monocyte chemotactic protein1) genes responsible for propagation of inflammation. Thus anti-inflammatory effects of flax fiber extracts were confirmed and it was shown that at least some of the effects are caused by activation of endocannabinoid signaling pathway. Effect of 5-azacitidine on DNA methylation pattern and somatic embryogenesis in Arabidopsis Miriam Szurman, Marta Gliwicka, Małgorzata D. Gaj Department of Genetics, University of Silesia, Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Methylation of DNA is an epigenetic feature, controlling gene expression and maintaining proper functioning of cells. The aim of this work was to evaluate the pattern of DNA methylation in embryogenic culture of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. To evaluate DNA methylation level Methylation Sensitive Amplified Polymorphism (M-SAP) method was used. The method is a modification of AFLP technique taking advantage of enzymes sensitive to DNA methylation: MspI and HpaII. Moreover, the influence of 5-azacitidine (5AzaC) on embryogenic capacity of the culture was evaluated. 5-Aza-C is an analogue of cytosine nucleoside and thus changes the level of methylated cytosine in DNA. Embryogenic cultures of Arabidopsis were derived from immature zygotic embryos of Col-0, the ecotype possessing a high capacity for somatic embryogenesis (SE). The standard conditions for induction of embryogenic culture in Arabidopsis were used (Gaj, 2001) and in addition to the basal induction medium (E5), media supplemented with 5-Aza-C (8 μM and 10 μM) were used. A significant reduction in SE efficiency (64.7%) and productivity (61.5%) was observed on E5+8 μM 5-AzaC medium while 10 μM of 5-AzaC resulted in a total inhibition of the embryogenic response. M-SAP-based experiments Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 involved 26 primer combinations analyzed at various time points (0, 5, 15 and 30th day) of embryogenic cultures induced on E5 and E5+8μM 5-AzaC media. The results confirmed that 5-AzaC influences the level of DNA demethylation as 142 new short DNA fragments in 5-Aza-C treated tissue were observed. This indicated that the observed negative impact of 5-AzaC on embryogenic capacity of cultured tissue resulted from a reduced level of DNA methylation. Moreover, DNA methylation patterns at various time points of SE culture were compared to identify the loci differentially methylated during the time course of SE. In total 1108 loci were analyses but none of them were found to be polymorphic in the standard embryogenic culture. The analysis of culture induced on E5+5-AzaC medium revealed one polymorphic DNA fragment which indicated a demethylation event on 5th day of culture. REFERENCES GAJ MD. 2001. Direct somatic embryogenesis as a rapid and efficient system for in vitro regeneration of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 64: 39–46. 65 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Identification of culturable and non-culturable endophytic fungi isolated from shoots of Huperzia selago (L.) Bernh. ex Schrank & Mart. (Lycopodium selago L.) Wojciech Szypuła1, Julia Budziszewska2, Daria Delbani1 1 Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, The Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Systematics and Plant Geography, University of Warsaw, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Gametophytes as well as sporophytes of H. selago are colonized by endophytic fungi (Higgins et al., 2007; Winther and Friedman 2008). The class Dothideomycetes is the main group of fungi mentioned among the endophytes of club-moss sporophytes (Higgins et al., 2007). Some representatives of this group are known as dark septate endophytes -DSE (Schmid and Oberwinkler, 1993). In recent years, the pharmaceutical industry has been becoming increasingly interested in huperzine alkaloids found in some club-mosses (genus Huperzia). Excessive harvesting of sporophytes as a source of huperzine has resulted in a marked decline of these plants in some countries. Studies are now being conducted that focus on the use of in vitro cultures for propagation of plant material for pharmaceutical industry. In vitro cultures of club mosses may also contribute to ex situ protection of these plants. However fungal contamination is a serious problem that causes severe loss of in vitro grown cultures of a number of plants. This problem becomes even more acute if the fungal contamination is of endophytic origin. In such cases, identification and characterization of the contaminants is essential for achieving specific control of the contaminants through selective use of antibiotic agents, especially if the routinely used contamination control methods practiced elsewhere in tissue culture studies are ineffective (Kulkarni et al., 2007). Such is the case with the fungal contamination observed in the present study. The aim of the present study was to detect the presence of endophytic fungi in in vitro grown shoots of H. selago originating from different European sites (Szypuła et al., 2005, 2006). From 420 tissue fragments, 66 132 isolates representing 13 species of endophytic fungi were recovered in culture. The isolated endophytes belonged to the Zygomycota (1 species) and Ascomycota (12 species). The representatives of the Ascomycota phylum belonged to 3 classes: Dothideomycetes, Soradriomycetes and Eurotiomycetes. The most abundant taxon were members of Sordariomycetes. Representatives of Dothideomycetes were detected most often in shoots originating from mountain sites. REFERENCES HIGGINS LK, ARNOLD AE, MIADLIKOWSKA J, SARVATE SD, LUTZONI F. 2007. Phylogenetic relationships, host affinity, and geographic structure of boreal and arctic endophytes from three major plant lineages. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 42: 543–555. KULKARNI AA, KELKAR SM, WATVE MG, KRISHNAMURTHY KV. 2007. Characterization and control of endophytic bacterial contaminants in in vitro cultures of Piper spp., Taxus baccata subsp. wallichiana, and Withania somnifera. Canadian Journal of Microbiology 53(1): 63–74 SCHMID E, OBERWINKLER F. 1993. Mycorrhiza – like interaction between the achlorophyllus gametophyte of Lycopodium clavatum L. and its fungal endophyte studied by light and electron microscopy. New Phytologist 124: 69–81. SZYPUŁA W, PIETROSIUK A, SUCHOCKI P, OLSZOWSKA O, FURMANOWA M, KAZIMIERSKA O. 2005. Somatic embryogenesis and in vitro culture of Huperzia selago shoots as a potential source of huperzine A. Plant Science 168: 1443–1452. SZYPUŁA W. OLSZOWSKA O, FURMANOWA M. 2006. In vitro culture of Lycopodiaceae (club mosses). Botanical Guidebooks No. 29: 163 – 175. WINTHER JL, FRIEDMAN WE. 2008. Arbuscular mycorrhizal associations in Lycopodiaceae. New Phytologist 177(3): 790–801. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Plant regeneration from liquid root culture of Rumex acetosa L. Analysis of genetic variability: preliminary studies Halina Ślesak, Grzegorz Góralski, Patryk Mizia, Dagmara Kwolek, Andrzej Joachimiak Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Jagiellonian University, Grodzka 52, 31-044 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Rumex acetosa L. is one of the few dioecious species that have sex chromosomes (2n = XX + 12 in females, 2n = XY1Y2 + 12 in males). In vitro culture of R. acetosa cv. Lionski adventitious roots was initiated and maintained on a hormone – free, liquid MS medium, containing 1/2 strength macronutrients (Mosiołek et al., 2005). This long – term root culture was genetically stable. Recently, we were successful in obtaining a method of high efficiency plant regeneration (via indirect organogenesis) in vitro from roots of Rumex acetosa. Root fragments (approx. 5 mm.) derived from liquid male root culture (RAY1 and RAY2 lines) were placed on MS medium (solidified with agar) supplemented with growth regulators: 2,4-D, NAA, kinetin, BAP and TDZ at different concentrations and combinations. The highest frequency of callus induction was found on MS + 0.5 mg/l TDZ medium after 5–6 weeks of culture. Callus culture maintained on MS medium with 0.5 mg/l TDZ resulted in a high frequency (90%) of shoot formation after 6 weeks. Regenerated shoots were isolated and inoculated onto a rooting medium (1/2 MS + 2% sucrose + 0.5 mg/l IBA) that had been proved to be optimal for root induction among the tested media. Complete plants with well developed root systems (after 2 weeks of culture on the rooting medium) were transferred to soil and acclimated to in vivo conditions in a phytotron chamber and then in the field. In vitro culture method of Rumex acetosa with a high frequency of plant regeneration was used for a preliminary analysis of genetic variation. Genomic DNA was extracted (using CTAB buffer) from plant material representing each of the following culture steps: roots from liquid culture, callus, plants regenerated in vitro from callus and plants acclimated in vivo, and analyzed using RAPD markers. REFERENCES MOSIOŁEK M, PASIERBEK P, MALARZ J, MOŚ M, JOACHIMIAK A. 2005. Rumex acetosa Y chromosomes: constitutive or facultative heterochromatin? Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 43: 161–167. Cytogenetic characteristics of the interspecific somatic hybrids of Solanum villosum (+) S. tuberosum Justyna Tarwacka, Anna Szczerbakowa, Bernard Wielgat Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAS, 5A Pawińskiego St, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland Solanum villosum, a wild tetraploid (2n=2x=48) nontuber bearing species resistant to Phytophthora infestans could be a potential source of resistance genes for cultivated potato. Since S. villosum is genetically and therefore reproductively isolated from S. tuberosum, the fusion of leaf mesophyll protoplasts was used to produce interspecific somatic hybrids between S. villosum and the diploid S. tuberosum. The objective was to transfer the late blight resistance genes from S. villosum into the susceptible potato. The expected ploidy level of the hybrids was 6x, but the real ploidy of the regenerants varied from 4x+ to Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 6x. The ploidy level was estimated by the direct method of counting chromosomes in metaphase plates of the root tip meristem cells. Analyses showed that the most vigorously growing hybrid plants were heksaploid, although all hybrids were quite similar morphologically and resembled the dominating wild tetraploid species. Selected euploid hybrids will be assessed for their resistance to P. infestans. Acknowledgement: The research was supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education as project PBZ-MNiSW2/3/2006/33. 67 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Bioactive secondary metabolites in in vitro cultures of Eryngium alpinum L. Barbara Thiem, Małgorzata Kikowska, Izabela Paluch Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Plant Biotechnology, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Św. Marii Magdaleny 14, 61-861 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Eryngium alpinum L. (Apiaceae), an endangered subalpine perennial is easily recognizable by its blue amethyst coloured flowers heads. This taxon is protected all over Europe and cultivated mainly for decorative purposes. Rosmarinic acid with antioxidant activity has been detected in this species (Le Claire et al., 2005). E. alpinum in natural populations produces very few seeds that become dormant soon after harvest, so their germination is poor (Gaudeul and Till-Bottraud, 2004). Plant material regenerated from in vitro cultures offers an opportunity to carry out phytochemical investigations of rare or vulnerable plants without collecting them from natural sites. Moreover, in vitro techniques could be used to complement ex situ conservation of endangered species. The aim of our study was to establish in vitro cultures of E. alpinum and to conduct a preliminary phytochemical study. Seedlings obtained from seeds that had been isolated from fruits after their stratification and scarification, were used for initiation of in vitro cultures. Shoot culture was developed via the induction of axillary buds from shoot tips and established on MS medium supplemented with BAP (1.0 mgl-1) and IAA (0.1 mgl-1). The shoots were rooted on MS medium containing IAA, IBA or NAA (0.1 mgl-1). Root cultures were obtained from root tips placed on MS liquid medium enriched with auxins (0.5 mgl-1) and were grown in 300 ml flasks on a rotary shaker, in darkness. To detect the presence of selected secondary metabolites, ethanol extracts from shoot and root cultures were analyzed chromatographically (TLC) on cellulose and silica gel F254 in different mobile phases. Spray specific reagents were employed for detection of phenolics, flavonoids and saponins. We showed that both types of in vitro material were able to produce those bioactive compounds. The study was also undertaken to develop some in vitro techniques for conservation of E. alpinum. Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Warsaw, Poland (Grant NN 405 065334) REFERENCES GAUDEUL M, TILL-BOTTRAUD I. 2004. Reproductive ecology of the endangered alpine species Eryngium alpinum L. (Apiaceae): phenology, gene dispersal and reproductive success. Annals of Botany 93: 711–721. LE CLAIRE E et al. 2005. Distribution of a new rosmarinic acid derivative in Eryngium alpinum L. and other Apiaceae. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 53: 4367–4372. The regeneration of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) plants from unfertilized ovules cultured in vitro Magdalena Tomaszewska-Sowa Department of Plant Physiology, University of Technology and Life Sciences, Bernardyńska 6, 85-029 Bydgoszcz, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] The aim of the experiment was to improve the effectiveness of regeneration of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) plants from unfertilized ovules cultured in vitro. A two-step method was applied: (1) culture in liquid medium that initiated meristem differentiation, followed by (2) transfer of explants onto Murashige and Skoog media solidified with agar or gelrite, which stimulated shoot development and growth. During the experiments 30 media were tested in terms of their influence on shoot formation. The media differed in the composition and content of growth regulators, carbohydrates and gelling compounds. The best efficiency of organogenesis was observed when 4.4 μM BAP, 0.09 M glucose and 0.7% agar were used. Root formation was induced after addition of 14.8 μM IBA and 0.049 μM 2iP, and the rooting rate ranged between 0.0 and 65.2% 68 depending on the experimental treatment. After planting into pots and several weeks of acclimation in the greenhouse, the plants were transferred to the field, where their morphological characteristics were observed. The ploidy level analysis of 413 regenerants performed by flow cytometry showed that 32.7% of plants were haploids, 45.8% diploids and 21.5% mixoploids. Haploid plants had narrower and more extended leaves, longer petioles and smaller roots in comparison to diploids. It also turned out that in some plants the chromosome number doubled spontaneously. Detailed DNA study with the RAPD method revealed large differences among the regenerants. There were 13 polymorphic sequences identified in total, and 11 of them typified only the diploids' DNA. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland The effect of cytokinins on morphogenetic responses of Polemonium caeruleum seedling explants Alina Trejgell, Andrzej Tretyn Department of Biotechnology, Institute of General and Molecular Biology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina 9, 87-100 Toruń, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] The aim of this study was to estimate the morphogenetic response of Polemonium caeruleum explants. The donor material were 10-day-old seedlings. Surface sterilized seeds were germinated on MS medium (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) supplemented with GA3 (1 mg·dm-3). Seedling explants (shoot tips, fragments of cotyledons, hipocotyls and roots) were isolated and transferred onto solidified MS medium supplemented with different types of cytokinins (BA, Kn, Zea, 2iP) at concentrations of 1.0, 3.0 and 5.0 mg·dm-3 in combination with NAA (0.1 mg·dm-3). All explant types produced callus proliferation. It was observed that calli developed on the entire surface of hipocotyl and root fragments. On the other hand, shoot tips and cotyledonary petioles formed callus tissue at the cut ends, and petioles only at abaxial ends. The growth of calli on all explant types was strongly stimulated by Zea. Among the explants tested, only shoot tips exhibited shoot organogenesis. The highest frequency of shoot organogenesis was observed if the explants were cultured on medium supplemented with 5.0 mg·dm-3 BA (100%) or 5.0 mg·dm-3 Zea (97%). The highest shoot number per explant (8.4 on average) was obtained in the presence of 5 mg·dm-3 Zea. The presence of BA or Zea in the proliferation medium inhibited rhizogenesis and the elongation growth of shoots. However, root organogenesis was supported by exposure to Kn. REFERENCE MURASHIGE T, SKOOG F. 1962. A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco tissue cultures. Physiologia Plantarum 15: 437–497. Capacity for shoot organogenesis in cultures of Arabidopsis hormone-response mutants Aneta Trojanowska, Małgorzata D. Gaj Department of Genetics, University of Silesia, Jagiellonska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Plant hormones are considered to be the key factors involved in plant morphogenesis in vitro. Mutants featuring altered hormonal responses are useful in studies of molecular mechanisms involved in in vitro induction of plant morphogenesis. In Arabidopsis, adventitious shoots can be efficiently regenerated via indirect organogenesis induced in the culture of root explants. The objective of this work was to evaluate the shoot organogenic (ORG) capacity of root explant cultures of 32 mutants defective in responses to plant hormones. The studied genotypes included auxin (7), ABA (12), cytokinin (2) and gibberellin (11) mutants and their parental genotypes (Columbia, Landsberg erecta, Wassilewskija). Explants isolated from 14-day old sterile plants were preincubated on an auxin-rich liquid callus induction medium (CIM), and then transferred to a cytokinin-rich shoot solid induction medium (SIM) according to Feldman and Marks (1986) method. The capacity for ORG was evaluated in 4-week old cultures and the ORG productivity (average number of shoots produced per 1 cm of explant) was evaluated. Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 The majority of the analyzed mutants (84%) displayed ORG productivity at the level similar to their parental genotypes. However, 5 of the analyzed mutants displayed distinct defects in the ORG response. Three of these mutants: aba1-3, abi4-1 (ABA) and axr4-1 (auxin) showed a significant decrease in organogenic response, while in two other mutants: hyl1 (ABA) and pkl1 (gibberelin) shoot regeneration was completely inhibited. Except for the abi4-1, all mutants impaired in ORG (aba1-3, hyl1, axr4-1 and pkl1) were previously reported to display significant defects in their capacity for somatic embryogenesis (Gaj et al., 2006) implicating the involvement of the mutated genes in basic cellular processes governing plant cell growth and differentiation. REFERENCES FELDMAN KA, MARKS MD. 1986. Rapid and efficient regeneration of plants from explants of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Science 47: 63–69. GAJ MD, TROJANOWSKA A, UJCZAK A, MĘDREK M, KOZIOł A, G ARBACIAK B. 2006. Hormone-response mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. impaired in somatic embryogenesis. Plant Growth Regulation 49: 183–197. 69 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Evaluation of regeneration efficiency of selected double haploid lines of rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera) Anna Turczynowska, Zbigniew Broda Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71c, 60-625 Poznań, e-mail:[email protected] Regeneration, determined by the genotype and environment, is the most important process leading to production of plants under in vitro conditions. Genus Brassica belongs to the family Brassicaceae whose representative species regenerate in vitro with a high efficiency (Wojciechowski, 1998). The aim of this research was to characterize the regeneration efficiency of 14 doubled haploid lines of rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera) that were expected to show a range of different tissue response in vitro. Plant material consisted of cotyledon and hypocotyl explants gathered from 6-day old seedlings. Explants were placed on basic MS medium (Murashige and Skoog 1962) with the addition of 1 mg/l or 10 mg/l BAP. Evaluation of regeneration efficiency was conducted after 28 days of culture and was based on the number of explants regenerating shoots in relation to the total number of explants used. The examined genotypes varied in their regeneration ability. REFERENCE WOJCIECHOWSKI A. 1998. Zdolności regeneracyjne wybranych genotypów Brassica w kulturach in vitro. Roczniki Akademii Rolniczej w Poznaniu, Rozprawy naukowe, Zeszyt 289. Efficient shoot organogenesis induced in the culture of immature zygotic embryos of Arabidopsis Malgorzata Wajand, Agnieszka Ledwon, Malgorzata D. Gaj Department of Genetics, University of Silesia, Jagiellonska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] To study the genetic determination of somatic embryogenesis induced in in vitro cultures, the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana is widely used because of its advanced genomics and the availability of numerous mutants. In the model system for SE analysis, immature zygotic embryos (IZEs) of Arabidopsis provide an efficient explant source (Gaj, 2001). The aim of this study was to establish in vitro conditions for IZE culture that would promote adventitious shoot organogenesis as an alternative to the SE mode of plant regeneration. The IZE explants of commonly used genotypes, Columbia (Col-0) and Wassilewskija (Ws), were analysed and four methods differing in media sequence and composition (ZOR1 – ZOR4) were tested. Efficient shoot regeneration was observed when cotyledons of IZEs were cultured on MS medium supplemented with B5 vitamins and plant growth regulators: 1 mg/l BAP and 0.1 mg/l NAA (ZOR3); however the method was found to be genotype-specific. Explants of Col-0 cultured with the use of ZOR3 media developed shoots at 65% rate while the protocol was much less efficient for Ws culture (15% of responding explants). An improvement of Ws explant response was achieved when 70 7 day pre-culture of the explants in CIM (0.5 mg/l 2,4-D; 0.1 mg/l kinetin) medium was employed (ZOR4). Additionally, ZOR4 media resulted in an increase of average culture productivity and more rapid shoot formation. The regenerants developed into fertile plants upon culture on hormone free medium. Moreover, the expression of embryogenesis-specific LEC genes (LEC1, LEC2 and FUS3) was monitored with the use of RT-PCR. The analysis was performed at various time points of the culture induced by the ZOR4 method. In contrast to IZE-derived embryogenic culture, in which activity of the LEC genes was detected up to 30d of culture (Ledwoń, 2008), in IZE culture induced for shoot ORG, the expression of LEC1 and FUS3 genes disappeared gradually and vanished by 7 and 21d, respectively. REFERENCES GAJ MD. 2001. Direct somatic embryogenesis as a rapid and efficient system for in vitro regeneration of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 64: 39–46. LEDWON A. 2008. Analiza ekspresji genów LEAFY COTYLEDON podczas somatycznej embriogenezy u Arabidopsis thaliana. PhD Thesis, University of Silesia, Katowice, 55–104. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland In vitro culture of Cordyline australis (G. Forst) Endl. Marzena Warchoł1, Franciszek Dubert2, Tadeusz Kusibab3 1 Department of Ornamental Plants, Agricultural University of Cracow, 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 21, 30-239 Cracow, Poland 3 Gospodarstwo Ogrodnicze Tadeusz Kusibab, Zbyszka z Bogdańca 16, 31-979 Cracow, Poland Cordyline australis "Red Star" with it's beautiful and attractive red decorative foliage is one of the most important ornamental house plant. Since the growth of plants in genus Cordyline is very slow, the interest in using in vitro propagation is increasing (DeMason and Wilson, 1985). Shoot apices of about 5 cm length used for this study were excised from plants growing under greenhouse conditions. After removing the apical sheathing leaves, explants were washed thoroughly and surface sterilized for 20 min with 20% Domestos, followed by three rinses in sterile distilled water each for 5 min and a second sterilization with 2% Domestos for 5 min. Explants (about 1 cm long) were isolated and transferred to culture vessels. Full strength MS (1962) medium containing 3% sucrose and 0.7% agar was used as the basal medium. Two different cytokinins: BA (5 μM i 17 μM) and zeatin (5 μM) were tested for shoot bud induction in combination with 0.5 μM NAA. For the development of shoot buds from the shoot apex, positive responses were observed only in the culture media that were supplemented with the lower concentration (5 μM) of BA. Shoot buds began to appear after 12 weeks in culture and the highest frequency of explants forming shoots was 55%. The effect of BA was quite inhibitory when used at the higher concentration (17 μM). Small clusters of shoots (10–15 shoots in each cluster) were subcultured to the proliferation medium containing four different cytokinins: BA, Zeatin, metaTopolin and 2iP. Maximum increase in shoot number was 15.80 after four weeks in culture. It occurred in media containing a combination of 5 μM zeatin and 0.5 μM NAA. Tiny shoots, when transferred to a fresh medium continued to produce adventitious shoots. Individual shoots were cultured separately in the rooting medium enriched with IAA or IBA and containing 0.01% activated charcoal. Most of the plants showed normal and healthy growth after they were transferred to pots. REFERENCE DEMASON DA, WILSON MA. 1985. The continuity of primary and secondary growth in Cordyline terminalis (Agavaceae). Canadian Journal of Botany 63: 1907–1913. In vitro culture of Dracocephalum moldavica Izabela Weremczuk-Jeżyna, Halina Wysokińska Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Łódź, Muszyńskiego 1, 90-151 Łódź, Poland e-mail: izabela.weremczuk-jezyna.umed.lodz.pl Dracocephalum moldavica L. (Lamiaceae) is an annual plant native to Central Asia and naturalized in Central and Western Europe. D. moldavica has been reported to be used as a food ingredient as well as tea and a herbal drug for the treatment of stomach, kidney and liver disorder in folk medicine. The spectrum of D. moldavica effects is ascribable principally to the presence of an essential oil, phenolic acids, flavonoids and tannins. In the investigation reported here, we attempt to induce callus and suspension cultures. Callus cultures of D. moldavica were initiated from hypocotyls and roots of 4-week-old seedlings. The explants were incubated on Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 Murashige and Skoog agar (0.7%) medium with 2,4-D or NAA at various concentrations (0.1, 0.5 or 1.0 mg/l). The most abundant callus proliferation was observed on root explants, after a 3-week culture on MS medium with 2,4-D at 0.5 mg/l. In addition to callus proliferation, somatic embryo formation was also observed. Suspension cultures were initiated by transfer of the callus tissues into MS liquid medium supplemented with 0.1 or 0.5 mg/l 2,4-D and 0.1 mg/l BAP. Suspension cultures with high biomass production were established on medium with 2,4-D at 0.5 mg/l. Cell suspension growth curves were obtained. 71 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ Influence of growth regulators and environmental factors on shoot multiplication of Camellia japonica in vitro Agnieszka Wojtania, Eleonora Gabryszewska Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, Waryńskiego 14, 96-100 Skierniewice, e-mail: [email protected] Camellia japonica is known to be relatively recalcitrant to tissue culture. Strong apical dominance, shoot-tip necrosis, leaf browning and difficulties with rooting are the main problems, on which this study was focused. Shoot cultures were initiated from axillary buds and shoot tips collected from a juvenile plant of Camellia japonica. MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg l-1 BAP i 0.5 mg l-1 GA3 was used. The aim of this investigations was to determine the influence of growth regulators (MemT, TDZ, GA3) and environmental factors – temperature (15°C, 20°C) and sucrose (5, 10, 20, 30 g l-1) on the growth and development of Camellia japonica shoots. The experiments were carried out with cooled (15°C) and non-cooled shoots (20°C). The highest multiplication rate and high quality of shoots were noted on the WPM supplemented with MemT (0.5 mg l-1), TDZ (0.01 mg l-1), GA3 (1.0 mg l-1) and sucrose at concentrations of 10–20 g l-1. The higher sucrose concentration stimulated elongation and strong lignification of shoots. Low sucrose concentration, as well as the 15°C temperature regime decreased growth of Camellia shoots. The addition of GA3 to the medium together with cytokinins and 10–20 g-1 sucrose activated axillary shoot development and leaf formation of both cooled and non-cooled shoots. Pectin metabolism in Fusarium-infected flax seedlings Wioleta Wojtasik, Kamil Kostyn, Anna Kulma, Jan Szopa Department of Genetic Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63/77, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a common crop, highly valued as a source of fibre, oil and linseed. The greatest losses in flax crops are caused by fungal diseases. Fusarium culmorum and Fusarium oxysporum are fungal pathogens that cause the most severe and imminent infections of flax. Two subtractive cDNA libraries were constructed from flax seedlings treated with salicylic acid or infected by F. oxysporum. Further analyses revealed two sets of gene sequences, which are potentially involved in flax defence responses. In order to ascertain the level of expression of these genes, 9-day old flax seedlings infected by Fusarium culmorum and Fusarium oxysporum were subjected to semi-quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis. Metabolite profiling was performed by means of GS-MS and UPLC analysis and revealed major changes in several metabolite groups such as phenolic acids, amino acids and sugars. Among genes found in the subtractive libraries, two (UDP-D-glu- 72 curonate 4-epimerase and formate dehydrogenase) are of particular interest to us, as they are connected with cell wall sugar polymers in plant. UDP-D-glucuronate 4-epimerase delivers the main substrate for pectin polysaccharide biosynthesis. We have determined that the expression level of UDP-D-glucuronate 4-epimerase gene was decreased after the Fusarium infection. However, the content of pectins remained unchanged. Formate dehydrogenase participates in the metabolism of formic acid, a toxic side-product of pectin demethylation. The expression level of formate dehydrogenase gene increased after the Fusarium treatment, which can be due to formate release from pectins under the influence of fungi. This observation is supported by research on transgenic plants overexpressing pectin degrading enzymes, where the level of formic acid is elevated. Our research point to early changes in flax plants, especially in the cell wall, occurring after the Fusarium treatment. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland ~ Regeneration of shoots from root explants in Mammillaria carmenae Castaneda (Cactaceae) Tomasz P. Wyka, Katarzyna Ludwiczak Department of General Botany, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Micropropagation of cacti from adult tissues has been difficult because of the low organogenic potential and heavy microbial contamination of potential explants, such as areoles or stem segments. Another problem is the damage to the stock specimen associated with collecting explants from these stem-succulent plants. Two alternative sources of explants are flowers and roots. Whereas a complete cycle of micropropagation from flowers has been demonstrated for three Mammillaria species (Wyka et al., 2006, 2009), the only report of micropropagation from roots concerns root explants harvested from in vitro culture of Coryphantha elephantidens (Bhau 1999). We attempted to use root tips of pot-grown M. carmenae rinsed with 70% ethanol followed by disinfection in NaOCl (0.05–0.1%), CaOCl (2–5%), or HgCl2 (0.1%). In no case was there a viable root culture obtained because of persistent heavy contamination and the resulting mortality of explants. Irrigation of the plants with fungicide did not improve the outcome. In contrast, when 10 mm long root tips were harvested from existing long-term perianth-derived shoot cultures of M. carmenae and transferred to MS medium containing 30 g l-1 sucrose, 1 mg l-1 kinetine and 0.5 or 2.0 mg l-1 2,4-D, they became hypertrophic and produced white calli that soon greened up. When calli were subdivided and transferred to regeneration medium (MS containing 30 g l-1 sucrose, 0.1 mg l-1 NAA and 5 or 10 mg l-1 BAP or kinetin), within 12 weeks shoot organogensis was recorded. At 24 weeks after transfer, the greatest efficiency of shoot formation (1.7 shoots per callus) was on medium containing 0.1 mg l-1 NAA and 5.0 mg l-1 BAP. Root-derived shoots were then used to re-establish a proliferating shoot culture. New shoots were rooted in perlite saturated with MS medium containing 0.1 mg l-1 NAA and later acclimated to ex vitro conditions. Our results confirm the earlier finding by Bhau (1999) that roots of Cactaceae are a viable source of explants and point to the need to develop novel disinfection methods. REFERENCES BHAU BS. 1999. regeneration of Coryphantha elephantides (Lem.) Lem. (Cactaceae) from root explants. Scientia Horticulturae 81: 337–344 WYKA TP, HAMERSKA M, WRÓBLEWSKA M. 2006. Organogenesis of vegetative shoots from in vitro cultured flower buds of Mammillaria albicoma (Cactaceae). Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 87: 27–32 WYKA TP, WRÓBLEWSKA M, HAMERSKA M. 2009. Use of cactus flowers and explants for micropropagation. The Journal of Horticultural Science and Technology, in press. Intergeneric hybridization between Salix fragilis and Populus spp. in vivo and in vitro Łukasz Zarychta, Maciej Zenkteler, Aneta Karmowska, Elżbieta Zenkteler Department of General Botany, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] As a result of experimental pollinations in vivo and in vitro between species of Salix and Populus, embryos and plantlets were obtained from crosses of Salix fragilis × Populus tremula and Salix fragilis × Populus simonii. Fully developed stigmas were pollinated with pollen grains of six poplar species: Populus tremula, Populus simonii, Populus alba, Populus trichocarpa, Populus violascens and Populus nigra. Under in vivo conditions, pollen grains were placed on stigmas using pencil tip. For pollinations in vitro, basal catkin segments were disinfected for 10 s in 70% ethanol, 4–5 min in chlorine water and washed three times in sterile water. After pollination, catkins were placed on basal MS medium. At 24 hours after pollination pollen germination occurred and 3 DAP Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 pollen tube growth as well as style and ovule penetration were observed. Globular embryos were formed 5–6 days after pollination. After 18–24 days fully developed embryos were transferred aseptically to MS-based medium modified by the addition of l mg l-1 KIN. Three week old plantlets were transferred on MS-based medium supplemented with 0.2 mg l-1 NAA. Both media contained 3% sucrose and were solidified with 8 mg l-1 agar and their pH had been adjusted to 5.8 before autoclaving. Plantlets that possessed 3–4 leaves were transferred into pots containing a mixture of sand and peatmoss. Fully developed embryos (18–21 days after in vivo pollination) died after 2–4 weeks from transfer to MS medium. 73 POSTERS 12th National Conference • ‘In vitro Cultures, Poznań 2009’ The influence of iron source in red raspberry cultures on the chlorophyll contents and histology of the leaves Marta Zawadzka, Teresa Orlikowska Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, Pomologiczna 18, 96-100 Skierniewice, e-mail: [email protected] Iron is an essential nutrient for plants and is involved in fundamental metabolic processes: photosynthesis and respiration, growth regulator synthesis and many enzymatic reactions. Interveinal chlorosis of leaves is the most visible symptom of iron deficiency. Such chlorosis was observed in raspberry shoot cultures when a typical MS formula containing FeEDTA was used. The most chlorotic cultivars were also the most recalcitrant to adventitious regeneration. Supplementing the medium with FeEDDHA (i.e. a more photostable iron chelate) resulted in the elimination of chlorosis, an increase in the rate of shoot multiplication and rooting and an increase in the efficiency of adventitious leaf regeneration. We compared the effects of FeEDDHA and FeEDTA on the chlorophyll contents and leaf histology of five raspberry cultivars: Beskid, Canby, Malling Seedling, Norna and Veten. Leaf samples were obtained after 4 weeks on shoot multiplication medium, after 4 weeks on rooting medium, and after 2 and 4 weeks of acclimation in the greenhouse. The chlorophyll content was measured spectrophotometrically. For histological observations leaf sections of 10μm were stained with safranin and fast green. FeEDDHA significantly increased the chlorophyll content at each stage of propagation (shoot multiplication, rooting and microplant acclimatization) in all cultivars, but the degree of increase was genotype dependent. Differences in leaf histology depended on the source of iron in the medium, and the stage of propagation. In leaves produced on the medium containing FeEDDHA, the parenchyma and palisade cell layers were thicker and the cells more abundant and condensed at the multiplication stage, whereas on the medium containing FeEDTA, such leaf structure was not observed until the rooting stage. In vitro reproduction of Drosera rotundifolia and conservation plant genetic resources of this species Przemyslaw Zelazko, Krystyna Kromer Botanical Garden, University of Wrocław, Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory, Sienkiewicza 23, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] All carnivorous plants that can be found in Poland are under legal protection. Recently, the number of their natural stands has been dramatically decreasing. The principal causes of their reduction include draining, exploiting and eutrophication of peat bogs. All possible measures to prevent populations of these plants from further decline should be taken. The objective of our study was to develop a reproduction method of Drosera rotundifolia using in vitro cultures. Results of our experiments indicate the possibility of effective generative reproduction of Drosera rotundifolia in vitro, involving the production of small amounts of vital seeds. Our data confirmed earlier reports that seeds of this species require a stratification period for plants to develop normally. Moreover, it has been confirmed that 100% of plants survive in temperature 0–2°C, however, their growth is inhibited and also formation of winter buds can be observed. After transfer to a fresh medium and moving from refrigerator to a phytotron with temperature of 25°C, the plants resume growth. Storing Drosera 74 rotundifolia at a reduced temperature is useful for preservation of their germplasm, maintenance of long-term cultures and development of a gene bank of this species in vitro. Examination of fertilization in Drosera rotundifolia confirmed other reports of self-fertilization in this species. The contents of phenolic compounds in water collected from natural stands of Drosera rotundifolia did not show any relationship with the type of stand for a given population. Moreover, the use of liquid medium indicated that Drosera rotundifolia does not tolerate excessive amount of water, as the plants became curled and reddening of the plants could be observed, which is characteristic of mineral deficiency. Chemical analysis of water taken from individual stands of populations that are developing dynamically or disappearing, did not show any significant differences in the contents of mineral compounds. This indicates the possibility that there could be other critical factors, not connected with the contents of nutrients in the water at the given stand. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica POSTERS September 9–11, 2009, Poznań, Poland Propagation of Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.) Moench via indirect somatic embryogenesis Anna Źróbek-Sokolnik1, Czesław Hołdyński1, Kamilla Górska-Koplińska2 1 Department of Botany and Nature Protection, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 1, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Biosensors in Food Department, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Tuwima 10, 10-747 Olsztyn, Poland Leather leaf Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.) Moench is a wintergreen dwarf shrub belonging to family Ericaceae. In Poland it is a rare species and is under full legal protection. Because of the limited number of existing stands of this plant (presently 9 remaining of the 13 historically known stands), it is important to determine the possibility of Chamaedaphne calyculata propagation for the purpose of ex situ protection. Somatic embryogenesis may be used for propagation of non-seed producing plants, sterile male or female plants and plants that do not respond to conventional propagation techniques. It can also be used for germplasm preservation of valuable genotypes or critically endangered species. According to current literature, there are only a few reports concerning somatic embryogenesis in the Ericaceae (eg. Vejsadova and Pretova, 2003; Antony et al., 2004). We tried to find if indirect somatic embryogenesis could be used for an effective propagation of Chamaedaphne calyculata. This study may have significant implications in the management of leather leaf in restoration and conservation programs. Leaves removed from shoots derived from in vitro cultures were used as explants. Leaves were cut transversely and placed with the abaxial surface in contact with the medium. Vol. 51, suppl. 1, 2009 Embryogenic callus production and initiation of somatic embryos was achieved using Gamborg's B5 (Gamborg et al., 1968) medium (with pH adjusted to 5.6) and supplemented with 3% sucrose, 0.7% agar, 10 μM TDZ and 5 μM IAA. Somatic embryos were removed from the parent tissue and transferred to Anderson's (1980) medium containing 2.28 μM zeatin for elongation. Root development occurred on hormone-free Anderson's (1980) medium. After transfer to a mixture of sphagnumpeat and perlite (3:1), approximately 65% of plantlets survived. REFERENCES ANDERSON WC. 1980. Tissue culture propagation of red and black raspberries, Rubus idaeus and R. occidentalis. Acta Horticulturae 112: 13–20. ANTHONY JM, SENARATNA T, DIXON KW, SIVASITHAMPARAM K. 2004. Somatic embryogenesis for mass propagation of Ericaceae – a case study with Leucopogon verticillatus. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 76: 137–146. GAMBORG OL, MILLER RA, OJIMA K. 1968. Nutrient requirements of suspension cultures of soybean root cells. Experimental Cell Reserach 50: 11–158. VEJSADOVA H, PRETOVA A. 2003. Somatic embryogenesis in Rhododendron catawbiense Grandiflorum. Acta Horticulturae 616: 467–470. 75 Index of Authors Adamus A 35, 44 Agacka M 25 Andrzejewska-Golec E 32 Arendt M 32 Bach A 33, 56 Balazadeh S 17 Baraniak M 48 Barański R 46 Bartkowiak-Broda I 16 Bednarek P 29 Bień K 49 Boba A 33, 47 Bogusiewicz M 21, 34 Bohdanowicz J 19 Bojarczuk K 42 Braś M 59 Broda Z 70 Buchwald W 48 Budzianowska A 34 Budzianowski J 34 Budziszewska J 24, 66 Bugajska-Prusak A 13 Bultrowicz M 35 Caldana C 17 Cegielska-Taras T 16, 64 Chmielarz P 42 Chuda A 35 Ciszewska-Marciniak J 36 Costa G 46 Czaplicki AZ 29, 36 Czarnecka D 37 Czemplik M 47 Czubacka A 16, 37 Czuj T 37 Czyczyło-Mysza I 53, 62 Czyż M 21 Delbani D 24, 66 Depta A 25 Doroszewska T 16, 37 Dreger M 48 Dubert F 56, 71 Durok J 38 Dydak M 61 Ekiert H 49, 50 Floryanowicz-Czekalska K 38 Furmanowa M 48 Gabryszewska E 39, 58, 72 Gaj MD 17, 39, 65, 69, 70 Galek R 32, 47 Gądek J 60 Gliwicka M 17, 39, 65 Gładysz M 41 Głowacka K 17 Gośka M 49 Góralski G 67 Górecka K 40 Górecki R 40 Górska-Koplińska K 75 Górska-Paukszta M 48 Grabka M 41 Grzebelus D 41 Grzebelus E 38, 41 Grzegorczyk I 42 Kozdój J 29 Krajewska-Patan A 48 Kromer K 19, 74 Królicka A 43 Kruczkowska H 48 Krzyżanowska D 40 Kucharska D 55 Kulma A 13, 33, 47, 65, 72 Kuras A 58 Kusibab T 71 Kuta E 19, 21 Kużdowicz K 49 Kwasniewska J 61 Kwiecień I 49, 50 Kwolek D 67 Hazubska-Przybył T 42 Hołdyński C 75 Horbowicz M 55 Hura K 33 Lachuta L 55 Langer J 28 Langer K 28 Ledwon A 70 Libik M 18 Ludwiczak K 73 Lütz C 22 Luwanska A 50, 52 Jagielska A 43 Janczur KL 18, 54 Janowicz J 26 Jarząbek M 22 Jasiński A 58 Jeżowski S 17 Jędryczka M 36 Joachimiak A 67 Jóźwiak W 22 Kachlicki P 18 Kamiński M 43 Kapczyńska A 14 Karmowska A 73 Kasprowicz A(leksandra) 43 Kasprowicz A(nna) 14 Kawa-Miszczak L 39 Kawiński A 44 Kiełkowska A 44 Kierzkowski D 14 Kikowska M 45, 68 Kisiała A 45 Kiszczak W 40 Klamkowski K 55 Klimek M 46 Klocek J 46 Kokotkiewicz A 22, 60 Konieczny R 18, 21 Korbin M 58 Kosicka I 14 Kostyn K 33, 47, 72 Kowalska U 40 Kozak K 47 Ładyżyński M 51 Łojewski M 59 Łojkowska E 43, 44 Łuczkiewicz M 22, 60 Maciejewska A 43 Makowczyńska J 32 Makowski D 51 Malarz J 63 Malepszy S 12 Malik M 52 Małuszynska J 61 Mankowska G 50, 52 Marcińska I 53, 59, 62 Maruniewicz M 14 Michalak M(arcin) 42 Michalak M(ichał) 14 Mielcarek S 48 Mikiciński A 28 Mikuła A 20, 51 Miler N 27 Mioduszewska H 46 Miszalski Z 18 Mizia P 67 Mól R 35 Mrozikiewicz PM 48 Mścisz A 48 Mueller-Roeber B 17 Muszyńska B 53, 64 Niklas-Nowak A 45 Nosal A 18 Nowaczyk L 54 Nowaczyk P 45, 54 Nowak K 61 Nowakowska J 20 Obarska A 18, 54 Olejnik A 64 Oleszczuk S 29, 36 Orlikowska T 12, 28, 55, 74 Orlińska M 45 Ożarowski M 55 Paluch I 68 Pawełek-Skoczylas A 19 Pawłowska B 33, 56 Pawłowska H 48 Pietraszek J 62 Pilarska M 21 Pilipowicz M 53, 62 Pindel A 25 Płażek A 56 Płoszaj B 57 Pniewski T 21, 34 Podwyszyńska M 58 Ponitka A 59 Popielarska-Konieczna M 59 Poturała D 19 Przyborowski J 36, 57 Ptak A 60 Pudelska H 59 Pukacki PM 22 Raj A 19 Raj D 22, 60 Ratajczak K 13, 65 Rodakowska E 14 Rojek J 19 Rojek M 61 Rokicki M 61 Rybczyński JJ 20, 24, 27, 38, 51 Rzenno K 59 Sawicka-Sienkiewicz E 32, 47 Skorys A 60 Skórkowska-Telichowska K 13 Skrzypczak-Pietraszek E 62 Skrzypek E 53, 62 Skucińska B 48 Sobiczewski P 12, 23, 28 Sochacki D 63 Sowa S 29 Stanisławska M 26 Stawiarz B 52 Stawicka A 53, 62 Stojakowska A 63 Sulikowska M 28 Sułkowska-Ziaja K 53, 64 Surówka E 18 Szała L 64 Szczerbakowa A 67 Szczygieł K 23 Szklarczyk M 38 Szopa J 13, 30, 33, 37, 47, 65, 72 Szpitter A 43 Sztajnert M 65 Szuba A 14 Szurman M 65 Szypuła W 24, 66 Ślązak B 19 Ślesak H 67 Ślusarkiewicz-Jarzina A 59 Tarwacka J 67 Thiem B 45, 55, 68 Tomaszewska B 18, 54 Tomaszewska-Sowa M 68 Tomiczak K 24 Trejgell A 69 Tretyn A 69 Trojak-Goluch A 25 Trojanowska A 69 Tuleja M 21 Turczynowska A 70 Twardowski T 13 Wajand M 70 Walas K 61 Warchoł M 71 Weremczuk-Jeżyna I 71 Widlarz E 41 Wielgat B 67 Wielgus K 50, 52 Wierzchowiecka M 14 Wiszniewska A 25 Wojciechowicz MK 26 Wojciechowski A 26, 61 Wojtania A 72 Wojtasik W 72 Wojtaszek P 14 Wojtuń B 19 Wolny E 61 Woś H 29 Woźna J 59 Wójcik A 27 Wyka TP 73 Wyrwa K 21 Wysokińska H 42, 71 Zalewska M 27 Zarychta Ł 73 Zawadzka M 28, 74 Zawadzki P 14 Zelazko P 74 Zenkteler E 12, 28, 36, 73 Zenkteler M 29, 73 Zimny J 29, 36 Znaniecka J 44 Zubek S 50 Źróbek-Sokolnik A 75 Żuk M 13, 30, 37 INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica is an English-language journal founded in 1958, devoted to plant anatomy and morphology, cytology, genetics, karyology, embryology, tissue culture, physiology and biosystematics. It is published twice a year. 1. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica publishes original papers embodying the results of experimental or theoretical research, invited reviews, and brief communications. Manuscripts will be considered only on the understanding that they have not been published and are not being considered for publication elsewhere. Authors are charged a fee for publication of their articles. The bill for publication will be sent with the galley proof. The fee, which is calculated after all articles are accepted, will be not more than $20.00 USD per printed page. 2. Manuscripts including illustrations should be sent to the Editor: Prof. dr. ELŻBIETA KUTA Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology The Jagiellonian University ul. Grodzka 52, 31-044 Cracow, Poland Tel./Fax: +48-12-422 81 07 e-mail: [email protected] Manuscripts will be examined by two referees. 3. Manuscripts should be submitted via e-mail as an attached pdf file to the address of the Editor. To shorten the review process, authors are asked to indicate 3 or 4 names of specialists working in the same scientific discipline (including their institution and e-mail addresses). Manuscripts should be double-spaced with a broad margin (for remarks). On all points of style regarding text and tables, follow a current copy of the journal. Words to be italicized (scientific names of genus and species only) should be typed in italics. 4. Original papers should not exceed 8 printed pages (approx. 24 manuscript pages including tables and figures). 5. Original papers should be headed by the title of the paper, author's name, institution, address (e-mail address if possible) and running title (no more than 50 characters), and should be preceded by 5–10 Key words and a short Abstract. Original research papers should be divided into the following sections: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgements (if any) and References. 6. Invited reviews are mostly of limited scope on timely subjects written for a general, well-informed audience. Invited reviews are solicited by the Editor. Ideas for unsolicited reviews should be discussed with the Editor. They are subject to the usual review procedure. 7. Brief communications are short papers (1–3 printed pages) reporting new findings that do not need a standard full-length treatment with the usual main headings. Brief communications are subject to normal review. 8. References in the text should be cited in the following form: Newton (1990) or Newton and Berrie (1982) or (Ward, 1950; Hiroshi and Ohta, 1970). For three or more authors, use the form: Zinkowski et al. (1991). Examples of style for references: a) citations of journal papers: PALMER TP. 1962. Population structure, breeding system, interspecific hybridization and alloploidy. Heredity 17: 278–283. CHEN BY, HENEEN WK, and SIMONSEN V. 1989. Comparative and genetic studies of isozymes in resynthesized and cultivated Brassica napus L., Brassica campestris L., and B. alboglabra Baitey. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 77: 673–679. b) citations of books, congress proceedings, theses: BERGRREN DJ. 1981. Atlas of Seeds, part 3. Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm. BING D, DOWLEY RK, and RAKOW GFW. 1991. Potential of gene transfer among oilseed Brassica and their weedy relatives. Proceedings of the GCTRC Eighth International Rapeseed Congress, 9–11 July 1991, 1022–1027. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. ROMEO JT. 1973. A chemotaxonomic study of the genus Erythrina (Leguminosae). Ph.D. disseration, University of Texas, Austin, TX. c) citations of articles and chapters from books: PHILLIPS RL. 1981. Pollen and pollen tubes. In: Clark G [ed.], Staining Procedures, 61–366. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, MD. 9. Tables must be numbered consecutively with arabic numerals and submitted separately from the text at the end of the paper. The title should be brief and written in the upper part of the table. Footnotes to tables should be indicated by lowercase letters. 10. Illustrations must be restricted to the minimum needed to clarify the text. Previously published illustrations are not accepted. All figures (photographs, graphs, diagrams) must be mentioned in the text. All figures are to be numbered consecutively throughout and submitted separately. Figure captions should be given on a separate page. 10.1.Photographs should be submitted the same size as they are to appear in the journal. If reduction is absolutely necessary, the scale desired should be indicated. The publisher reserves the right to reduce or enlarge illustrations. Photographs should match either the column width (83 mm) or the printing area (170 x 225 mm). Whenever possible, several photos should be grouped into a plate, and they should be sharp. For photographs without an integral scale the magnification of photographs must be stated in the legend. Color illustrations will be accepted; however, the author will be expected to contribute towards the extra costs. 11. Accepted manuscripts may be submitted on CD or sent via e-mail as an attached file to the address of the Editor. Submit your text written in a standard program (Microsoft Word). Bitmap graphics files should be written in TIFF, PCX, EPS or BMP, and vector graphics in AI or CDR (curves). Every paper will be checked for style and grammar. The Editor reserves the right to introduce corrections suggested by the journal's copy editor. Only papers requiring complete revision in this regard will be returned to the authors for approval. 12. Proof will be sent directly to the author in electronic form as a pdf file. Authors' corrections have to be inserted in the print-out of the PDF proof. The corrected proofs must be returned to the Editor within two days by fax or by e-mail. Proofs not returned promptly by authors will be corrected by the Editor. 13. Copyright. Exclusive copyright in all papers accepted for publication must be assigned to the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Jagiellonian University, but the Academy and the University will not restrict the author's freedom to use material contained in the paper in other works by the author. 14. Offprints. Pdf of each paper is supplied to the author free of charge. Indexed in Science Citation Index, Current Contents (Agriculture, Biology & Environmental Sciences), Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Data, Index Copernicus, Polish Scientific Journals Contents – AGRIC. & BIOL. SCI., AGRO-AGEN. ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica on the Internet The home page of Acta Biologica Cracoviensia Series Botanica can be found at http://www.ib.uj.edu.pl/abc/abc.htm Inquiries should be sent to the Biological Commission of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. św. Jana 28, 31-018 Cracow, Poland. HOW TO ORDER ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica PL ISSN 0001-5296 For further information, subscriptions, publication exchange visit home page of Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow Branch at: http://www.pan-krakow.pl/english/sklep.php or contact: Polish Academy of Sciences Publishing House in Cracow ul. św. Jana 28, 31-018 Cracow, Poland Tel.: +48-12-422 36 43 ext. 22 or 15 Fax: +48-12-422 27 91 Printing: Skleniarz, Kraków Number of volumes: 250