Somatic Fusion - Process For Plant Cells

Process For Plant Cells

The somatic fusion process occurs in four steps:

1. The removal of the cell wall of one cell of each type of plant using cellulase enzyme to produce a somatic cell called a protoplast
2. The cells are then fused using electric shock (electrofusion) or chemical treatment to join the cells and fuse together the nuclei. The resulting fused nucleus is called heterokaryon.
3. The somatic hybrid cell then has its cell wall induced to form using hormones
4. The cells are then grown into calluses which then are further grown to plantlets and finally to a full plant, known as a somatic hybrid.

Different from the procedure for seed plants describe above, fusion of moss protoplasts can be initiated without electric shock but by the use of polyethylene glycol (PEG). Further, moss protoplasts do not need phytohormones for regeneration, and they do not form a callus. Instead, regenerating moss protoplasts behave like germinating moss spores. Of further note sodium nitrate and calcium ion at high pH can be used, although results are variable depending on the organism.