Protoplast culture in high molecular oxygen atmospheres

The effect of a molecular oxygen atmosphere on protoplast culture, compared with normal cultural procedures, was investigated for tomato, rice and jute protoplast systems. Protoplasts, in unsealed Petri dishes were cultured in a sealed 250 ml volume container in which the atmosphere was replaced with sterile molecular oxygen (O2 100% v/v) achieved by a one minute oxygen flow (10 mBar). Controls were cultured in a similar way but with a normal atmosphere (20.5% v/v oxygen). For all three species a major improvement in plating efficiency and colony formation was observed in the oxygen-enriched atmospheres. In the case of rice, cultivar Taipei 309, a significant increase in plant regeneration capacity, from protoplast-derived colonies, was observed for the high oxygen cultures.