Development of embryo-like structures in the suspension cultures of flax coincides with secretion of chitinase-like proteins

Abstract

Flax suspension cultures have been established from the callus induced from the cotyledons, hypocotyls, and immature zygotic embryos (iZE). The growth of flax suspension culture (expressed as a sedimented cell volume) was compared in both conditioned (by liquid from embryogenic Pinus nigra suspension culture) and non-conditioned media. Conditioning of media significantly increased the growth of the cell lines of hypocotyl and iZE origin; however, it had no promotive effect on embryogenic response of these flax liquid cultures. Formation of embryo-like structures (ELS), confirmed also histologically, has only been found in the cell line derived from iZE and cultivated in non-conditioned MS medium supplemented with 1 mg l−1 2,4-D. The process of ELS formation in this cell line was accompanied by the expression of the protein(s) with chitinolytic activity and molecular weight approximately of 25 kDa. The relationship between the formation of ELS and secretion of chitinase(s) is discussed.