Ploidy manipulation for genetic improvement in some Mediterranean fruit crops

Abstract

Plant breeding is focused on selection of new genotypes with improved traits. Conventional methods based on hybridization and those based on biotechnology (somatic hybridization, genetic transformation, ploidy manipulation, etc.) are used to create novel genetic variations. Biotechnology provides powerful tools for plant breeding, for instance, haploid technology allows achievement of homozygous lines from heterozygous parents in one step, which reduces significantly the time required by conventional methods. Concerning woody species, characterized by self-incompatibility, long juvenile period and high degree of heterozygosity, this technique is the only way to get homozygous lines. Haploid plants are of great interest for breeding and genomic studies, being used in mutation research, genetic analysis, genome mapping and gene transfer. Gametic embryogenesis, based on cellular totipotency, produces an embryo from an immature gamete, by switching its developmental pathway from gametophytic to sporophytic. This research is focused on inducing gametic embryogenesis in two important Mediterranean fruit crops: almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.) via in vitro anther culture and mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) via isolation and microspore culture. Also ploidy manipulation was applied to loquat (Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.) for getting genotypes whit different ploidy levels. The experiments were carried out through years 2014, 2015 and 2016 at the 'Universita degli Studi di Palermo' (UNIPA) as well as at the 'Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias' (IVIA). Regarding the almond anther culture, formation of calli and production of embryos was achieved through the direct embryogenesis route. On then other hand, early embryo regeneration is reported, for the first time, from isolated microspore culture of mandarin, 'Mandarino Tardivo di Ciaculli'. Our results report the evidence of gametic embryogenesis and the production of homozygous regenerants in almond and mandarin, two species extremely recalcitrant to microspore embryogenesis. However, the results are affected by many factors that need further studies to better understand the embryogenic development and to increase the rate of embryo achievement. Moreover, another biotechnological tool (ploidy manipulation) was also applied for implementing the IVIA loquat breeding program. Polyploid plants are of great interest in this species, due to its potential for producing seedless genotypes via direct use of triploids or crosses between tetra and diploids. Aimed at obtaining new loquat genotypes, with different ploidy levels (polyploids), colchicine was applied to seeds before germination, to induce chromosome duplication. A total of three triploids (3x) and one tetraploid (4x) were obtained.