Application of protoplast technology to Apiaceae species

Totipotency of protoplasts makes them a convenient tool in basic research focused on cell biology and differentiation as well to generate new genetic diversity via protoplast fusion or in vitro selection. Nevertheless, application of protoplast technology to breeding programs must be preceded by developing a highly efficient, universal, and dedicated to specific tissue, plant regeneration procedure for a given species. Although there are some known protocols to obtain plants from protoplasts for hundreds of species, especially for a number of cultivated species, the regeneration is occasional or its efficiency is low. Research on protoplast culture in carrot, the model species for plant tissue culture systems and the most economically important crop of the Apiaceae family, began in the early seventies, when successful protoplast isolation from sliced roots was reported. To date, many carrot studies based mainly on suspension-derived protoplasts have been presented, including research on intra- and inter-specific as well inter-generic somatic hybridization. In this review latest research on protoplast-to-plant system in Apiaceae is presented with reference to different source tissue, culture techniques, chemical nursing or prophylactic use of antibiotics against bacterial contaminations. Ability for plant regeneration in protoplast cultures of wild Daucus species is discussed as well as application of the developed protoplast technology to in vitro selection against biotic and abiotic stresses.