Hybrid Cell Selection
A heterokaryon is produced by the fusion of just 20–25% of the protoplasts. The combination is made up of unfused protoplasts, heterokaryons, and homokaryons. From this varied mixture, methods are developed to choose the hybrid cells. Three choices are available for selection:
1. Biochemical technique: This technique separates the fused cells from the unfused cells using biological substances. There are two approaches.
- Drug sensitivity: In this procedure, one protoplast is antibiotic-resistant, preventing the other protoplast from growing in its presence. For instance, if protoplast 1 is resistant to actinomycin D but protoplast 2 is not, the fused protoplast will acquire the traits of both following unions. Protoplast 2 will not be able to develop, fused protoplasts will, and protoplast 1 produces little colonies that can be recognized and separated when the cells are cultivated on a medium containing the antibiotic.
- Mutants with auxotrophy: Mutants known as auxotrophs are unable to develop on a minimum media. The parental cells cannot grow in the minimum media, however, the hybrids can, allowing for cell selection.
2. Visual technique: Since the hybrid cells must be chosen physically and visually using this procedure, it is quite time-consuming. Using this technique, cells that develop on various mediums are combined and then visually separated. Another approach involves manually dividing the hybrid cells using a Drummond pipette.
3. Cytometric technique: For simple cell selection, modern techniques like flow cytometry and fluorescent cells are used.
What is Somatic Hybridization?
Somatic hybridization is a technique of fusing protoplasts from different plant species to create hybrid plants. It is different from conventional ways involving sexual hybridization because it does not need sexual reproduction. Instead, it combines traits from different plants without being limited by species barriers. In this article, we will cover somatic hybridization notes, steps, and its applications.
Table of Content
- What is Somatic Hybridization?
- What are the Stages of Somatic Hybridization?
- Protoplast Fusion
- Hybrid Cell Selection
- Identifying Hybrid Plants
- Applications of Somatic Hybridization
- Somatic Hybridization Examples
- Advantages of Somatic Hybridization
- Limitations of Somatic Hybridization