CLONAL VARIATION OF GRAPE‐STEM AND PHYLLOXERA‐GALL CALLUS GROWING IN VITRO IN DIFFERENT CONCENTRATIONS OF SUGARS

Abstract

Arya, H. C., A. C. Hildebrandt, and A. J. Riker. (University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.) Clonal variation of grape‐stem and Phylloxera‐gall callus growing in vitro in different concentrations of sugars. Amer. Jour. Bot. 49(4): 368–372. Illus. 1962.—The original callus grown from normal tissue and that grown from gall tissue contained mixtures of different kinds of cells. To study the variability, a large number of clones were developed by single‐cell technique. From these, 6 clones were selected for detailed study. Growth was compared of 6 single‐cell clones established in vitro; 3 from normal grape stem and 3 from gall tissues incited by Phylloxera vastatrix Planch. The clones were stable in growth rate (fast, medium, and slow) when grown on modified White's basal medium supplemented with coconut milk, α‐naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and calcium pantothenate. Growth was measured after 6 weeks as the average wet weight on concentrations from 0.06–4.0% of sucrose, d(+) dextrose, d(‐) levulose, d(+) mannose, d(+) galactose, and d(+) lactose, respectively. Every sugar, except mannose, was a suitable source of carbon. The cells were not all alike in their growth response to different sugars. Gall‐ and normal‐tissue clones grew best with 0.125% sucrose, levulose, and galactose. With dextrose and lactose, optimum yields were obtained at the 1.0% sugar level. Growth of fast‐, medium‐, and slow‐growing clones was altered with the type of sugar. Gall and normal tissues were differentiated from each other when grown on mannose in which gall tissues grew best at 0.125% and normal at 1.0% levels. Gall tissues as a group were able to grow better with mannose than the corresponding normal ones. Levulose, on the other hand, favored growth of normal clones in comparison to that of diseased ones. Sugars varied in their inhibitory influence at the 4.0% level. Dextrose, levulose, and lactose at 1.0% proved better than sucrose for the growth of all except one fast‐growing gall clone which grew best with sucrose. However, at 0.125% sugar levels, even in cases where high yields were obtained, the physical character of the tissues changed to dry, brownish, and very friable. Thus, the original callus from normal and gall tissues contained cells with diverse characteristics. The various clones developed used the same sugars but varied strikingly in the rate and type of growth on certain sugars.