Articles
THE EFFECT OF LIGHT QUALITY ON REGENERATION RATE AND PLANTLET DEVELOPMENT IN TRANSGENIC PETUNIA ‘REVOLUTION’ (SURFINIA TYPE)
The induction of organogenesis takes place in darkness.
After 10 days the explants were transferred to low level white light (19 – 21 μmol m2 s-1), where they regenerated well-proportioned shoots within 3 – 4 weeks.
However, the regeneration rate from leaf explants transformed with the aid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens was very low in the same conditions.
Illumination with blue and red lights improved shoot regeneration from leaf explants that were not transformed, whereas green light had no effect.
The best regeneration rate of transformed shoots was obtained under green light, whereas blue light slightly increased regeneration and red light had no effect when compared to irradiation with white light.
Monochromatic lights also affected in vitro proliferation of both transgenic and control surfinia shoots and their morphology.
The highest number of adventitious shoots was obtained under low level white, green and red lights, and the lowest under blue light.
The shoots were longest under blue light and their leaf area was biggest.
Transgenic plants reacted differently to the light treatment than those that were not transformed.
The leaf area of transgenic shoots proliferating under blue light was bigger than the leaf area of control shoots, whereas under white light it was just the opposite.
Also, under white light transgenic shoot explants produced fewer short shoots (< 1 cm) than control shoots.