Electrofusion, a simple and reproducible technique in somatic hybridization of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia mutants

Electrofusion of protoplasts from two complementary nitrate reductase deficient mutants of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia has resulted in somatic hybrid lines. Mesophyll protoplasts isolated from the cofactor mutant CNX 20 and fluorescein diacetate stained protoplasts derived from a cell suspension culture of the NA 36 line, being defective in the apoenzyme, were used in the fusion experiments. In total, 594 lines were recovered which could proliferate on a selective medium with nitrate as the sole nitrogen source. This is including 141 putative hybrid lines which were obtained after transfer of 1048 heterokaryons with a micromanipulator one day after electrofusion. The hybrid character of some of the selected lines was confirmed by nitrate reductase activity measurements. Plants were grown from hybrid calli.