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Applications of pollen or anther culture
Plant Biotechnology (BTE 308)
BRAC University
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Applications of pollen or anther culture
Here we have listed some of the applications, merits and demerits of anther and pollen culture.
Haploid production – Major application of pollen / anther culture is production of haploid plants. It takes much time to produce haploid plants by conventional breeding methods (many generations of inbreeding or backcrossing). As pollens are haploid, plants developed from these are homozygous (haploids). Protoplast isolation – Used for protoplast isolation as single pollens (unicellular) are available. Transformation – Used in transgenic plant formation, it can be done with less time consumption. Crop improvement – In-vitro anther culture is used for improvement in vegetable and cereal crops e. asparagus, sweet pepper, watermelon, cabbage, broccoli, wheat etc.
Advantages of Anther or Pollen culture
Simple Less time consuming, large number of haploids can be produces in less time. This topic is discussed in applications of anther and pollen culture. Responsive, most of the anthers used in culture respond. Pollen culture avoids the risk of chimera and callus formation from anther walls.
Disadvantages of Pollen or Anther culture
Requires skill to remove anthers without causing damage, it is one of the most tedious jobs. Not much successful in case of cereal crops. Risk of chimera and callus formation from anther walls, in anther culture.
Anther and Pollen Culture: Importance and Implication (With
Applications)
Let us make in-depth study of the importance, implication and applications of anther and pollen culture. They are discussed here below:
Utility of Anther and Pollen Culture for Basic Research
Use of Anther and Pollen Culture for Mutation Study
Use of Anther and Pollen Culture for Plant Breeding and Crop Improvement
Application of Haploid Culture for Horticultural Plants
Anther Culture and Alkaloid Content
Haploid Culture and Molecular Biology
1. Utility of Anther and Pollen Culture for Basic Research:
Haploids derived from anther and pollen culture are useful in cytogenetic studies.
By comparing the heterozygous diploid with haploid or homozygous diploid popu- lation, recessive phenotypic characters can be identified very easily.
Critical genetic analysis of haploid population derived from individual microspore of pollen tetrad is very useful for the study of genetic recombination in higher plants.
The series of cell division and mode of differentiation (embryogenesis or organogenesis), starting from single cell (microspore) and ending in whole organism, can be studied under microscope.
Double haploid that are homozygous and fertile, are readily obtained, enabling the selection of desirable gene combination.
Culture of isolated pollen provides a novel experimental system for the study of factor controlling pollen embryogenesis of higher plants.
Study of meiotic behaviour of haploids provides valuable clues to measure chromo- some duplication within a species and for understanding of phylogenetic relationship between species. It also provides information for the interpretation of chromosome homology.
Genetic analysis could be performed on haploid population to establish inheritance patterns.
Another application involves the use of haploids in the production of monosomies, nullisomics and other aneuploids. This approach has been used in tobacco for the iso- lation of nullisomics, trisomies and tetrasomics.
2. Use of Anther and Pollen Culture for Mutation Study:
One unique value of microspore culture lies in the study of somatic cell genetics. In such studies, mutant cell lines are specifically important. Several biochemical mutants have also been reported using haploid cells.
Normally, in vivo, the majority of mutation is recessive and, therefore, is not expressed in diploid cells in the presence of immutated dominant gene. Haploid callus cells have been employed to study the effect of various mutagens, both irradiation as well as chemical.
vi. In China, by anther culture new varieties of rice Huayu 1, Buayu 2 and Tanfong 1 have been raised. Similarly, new varieties of wheat Lunghua 1 and Huapei 1 have been released. New variety of tobacco, namely Tanyu 1, Tanyu 2 and Tanyu 3 have been obtained by anther culture.
A superior variety of tobacco named F 211, which is resistant to bacterial wilt, has been obtained by anther culture in Japan. In China, pollen plants of Zea mays, Populus nigra (Poplar), Capsicum annuum (Pepper), Beta vulgaris, Brassica pekinensis, B. chinensis have been raised for the exploitation in breeding programme.
vii. Hovea brasiliensis is a rubber-yielding plant. It is perennial cross-pollinating tree and its available varieties are highly heterozygous in nature. Again, 5-7 years are required for sowing to blooming and seed set ratio of inbreeding is usually only a few of ten thousandth.
So, it is unreal to obtain pure lines by means of successive inbreeding in many generations. Pollen plants have been produced by anther culture through embryogenesis. Therefore, production of homozygous diploid pollen plants is a new way to obtain pure lines of different genotypes in a short time and can be utilized in breeding programme.
viii. The haploid technique to cereal breeding is a quick route from heterozygotes to homozygotes.
ix. Anther derived haploids have been extensively used in protoplast culture and so- matic hybridization.
- Application of Haploid Culture for Horticultural Plants:
In some plants of horticultural importance, haploid culture is highly significant. Freesia, a horticulturally important plant, propagates vegetatively by means of underground corms. Normally, it takes 8-10 years to produce a clone which is longer enough for commercial purpose. But in these cases, anther culture can be successfully used to obtain a clone very quickly.
- Anther Culture and Alkaloid Content:
Amongst other uses, homozygous plants obtained through anther culture have also been employed for the selection of breeding lines of Nicotinna tabacum with high alkaloid content. Homozygous recombinants of Hyoscyamus niger having higher alkaloid content could be obtained by anther culture.
- Haploid Culture and Molecular Biology:
In genetic engineering, haploids can be successfully used to gene transfer. Haploid tissue of Arabidopsis and Lycopersicon have been used for the transfer and expression of three genes from Escherichia coli.
Applications of pollen or anther culture
Course: Plant Biotechnology (BTE 308)
University: BRAC University
