Induction of somatic embryogenesis in woody plants

Abstract

Somatic embryogenesis, the in vitro developmental program by which somatic cells are reprogrammed to undergo cellular and molecular changes that make them competent to produce somatic embryos, has been achieved with many woody plants. The program involves the stages of competence acquisition, induction and expression of the morphogenic pathway by the cultured cells and tissues. The ability to express the program in cultured cells/tissues is regulated by many factors, including genotype, explant type and age and culture conditions. In many woody plants, somatic embryogenesis was achieved with mature, immature explants or both. Juvenile tissues as immature and mature zygotic embryos are regarded best explants to establish embryogenic cultures in woody plants and potential to obtain the cultures decline with increasing maturity of the explant.