Heritable somaclonal variation in wheat

Efficient tissue culture and regeneration methods were established using immature wheat embryos as expiants. Genotype differences in culturability were evident, and from the ten accessions most amenable to culture, a total of 2,846 plants were regenerated. Extensive somaclonal variation for morphological and biochemical traits was observed among 142 regenerants of a Mexican breeding line, 'Yaqui 50E', and their progeny. Variant characters included height, awns, tiller number, grain colour, heading date, waxiness, glume colour, gliadin proteins and α-amylase regulation. The variant characters were heritable through two seed generations and included traits under both simple and quantitative genetic control. Segregation data suggested that mutations both from dominance to recessiveness, and from recessiveness to dominance, had occurred. Most mutations in the primary regenerants were in the heterozygous state but some were true-breeding and presumed to be homozygous. Chromosome loss or addition did not account for the variation and none of the variant phenotypes was observed in over 400 plants from the parental seed source. The distinctive parental gliadin pattern was maintained in the somaclones thus excluding seed contamination or cross-pollination as a source of the variation.