Plant Tissue Culture Prof. H. C Wu

History

What’s the history? 1838 – Schwann and Schleiden put forward the theory which states that cells are totipotent, and in principle, are capable of regenerating into a complete plant. Their theory was the foundation of plant cell and tissue culture.

What’s the history? 1902 – Haberlandt conducted the first but unsuccessful attempt of tissue culture using monocotyledons FW Went demonstrated that there were growth substances in coleoptiles from oats.

A. Germination of an oat seed B. Decapitate tip of coleoptile and place on agar block. C. Agar block is placed on top of the decapitated tip of the seedling (what happens?). D. Agar block is placed on the side of the leaf on the decapitated tip of the seedling (what happens?).

What’s the history? White generated continuously growing culture of meristematic cells of tomato on medium containing salts, yeast extract, sucrose and 3 vitamins (pyridoxine, thiamine, nicotinic acid). This established the importance of additives in tissue culture.

What’s the history? Successful continuously growing cultures of carrot and tobacco Formation of adventitious shoots and roots in tobacco.

What’s the history? Virus-free Dahlia through meristem culture First successful micrografts.

What’s the history? Miller and Skoog discovered kinetin, a cytokinin that plays an active role in organogenesis – Haploid callus of Ginkgo biloba produced from pollen.

What’s the history? 1954 – First plant grown from a single cell Discovery that root or shoot formation in culture depends on auxin: cytokinin ratio.

What’s the history? 1958 – Regeneration of somatic embryos in vitro from citrus Pro-embryo formation in callus clumps and cell suspension of carrot.

What’s the history? Enzymatic degradation of cell wall for protoplast formation Vegetative propagation of orchids by meristem culture.

What’s the history? Development of the Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Folke K. Skoog 1908–2001

What’s the history? 1965 – Induction of flowering in tobacco tissue in vitro Steward demonstrated totipotency by regenerating carrot plants from single cells of tomato.

What’s the history? In the 60’s and 70’s - Murashige cloned plants in vitro: Raised haploid plants from pollen grains in many plant species. First achievement of protoplast fusion In the 70’s and 80’s - beginning of genetic engineering.