Co adaptation of LiCl tolerant Solanum tuberosum L. callus cultures to NaCl stress

Abstract

In this research, co-adaptation of the Calli of Solanum tuberosum , raised from petioles, to the presence of lithium (LiCl) and sodium chloride (NaCl) was studied. The cultures were adapted with LiCl in the absence of an osmotic stress and the response of adapted and unadapted calli to salinity was investigated. Undifferentiated callus growth was induced in S. tuberosum by the addition of 2 mg/l 2,4 dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D), 0.25 mg/l kinetin to Murashige and Skoog medium. Subcultures were subjected to an incremental increase in LiCl to obtain adapted lines. Adapted and undapted calli were grown with LiCl and NaCl and the tissue content of Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ and proline levels were determined. Either 40 mM LiCl or 100 mM NaCl inhibited unadapted calli by more than 50%, while adapted calli grew normally under these conditions. The adapted calli exhibited a lower K