Somatic Hybridization in Crop Improvement I: (27 Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry)

Fantasies and dreams have their rightful place in science, and sometimes they turn into reality. Regeneration of hybrid plants through protoplast fusion is one such dream come true. In the early 1970s I shared the pioneering excitement in the field of protoplast technology at the Second International Congress of Plant Tissue Culture held in Strasbourg, France. Subsequently, I participated in three international conferences devoted to plant protoplasts, in Salamanca, Spain (1972), Versailles, France (1972), and Nottingham, England (1975). At Versailles Dr. P.S. Carlson presented his work on the successful regeneration of somatic hybrids between Nicotiana glauca and Nicotiana langsdorfii. The enthusi- asm shown by the participants was sufficient indication of the bright future of somatic hybridization. On my return from Versailles, I gathered my thoughts and prepared a concept paper on Potentials of Protoplast Culture Work in Agriculture which was published in Euphytica (Bajaj 1974). The studies on protoplast fusion and somatic hybridization then gained momentum and active work started in many laboratories. Very significant work was done by Melchers et al. (1978) who obtained a somatic hybrid between potato and tomato, calling it "Pomato".

Table of Contents:
Section I Protoplast Fusion, Somatic Hybrids, Asymmetric Hybrids, Cybrids — Transfer of Chloroplast Traits.- I.1 Somatic Hybridization — A Rich Source of Genetic Variability.- I.2 Fluorescence Microscope Study of Protoplast Fusion.- I.3 Somatic Hybridization by Microfusion of Protoplasts.- I.4 Asymmetric Somatic Hybrids.- I.5 Cybrids — Transfer of Chloroplast Traits Through Protoplast Fusion Between Sexually Incompatible Solanaceae Species.- Section II Somatic Hybridization in Cereals, Grasses, and Legumes.- II. 1 Somatic Hybridization in the Family Gramineae.- II.2 Somatic Hybridization Between Zea mays and Triticum sect, trititrigia.- II.3 Somatic Hybridization in Festuca and Lolium.- II.4 Somatic Hybridization Between Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) and Soybean (Glycine max L.).- II.5 Somatic Hybridization in the Genus Medicago.- Section III Somatic Hybridization in Potato, Tomato, Eggplant, and Lettuce.- III. 1 Cybridization in Potato.- III.2 Somatic Hybridization in Solanum Tuberosum × S. chacoense.- III.3 Somatic Hybridization Between Solanum tuberosum and Nicotiana plumbaginifolia.- III.4 Pomato: Potato Protoplast System and Somatic Hybridization Between Potato and a Wild Tomato.- III.5 Somatic Hybridization Between Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. and Lycopersicon peruvianum var. dentatum Dun.- III.6 Somatic Hybridization Between Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and Pepino (Solanum muricatum).- III.7 Somatic Hybridization of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) with Its Close and Wild Relatives.- III.8 Somatic Hybridization in Lettuce (Lactuca Species).- Section IV Somatic Hybridization in Brassicaceae.- IV.1 Resynthesis of Brassica napus Through Protoplast Fusion Between B. oleracea and B. rapa.- IV.2 Analysis of Somatic Hybrids and Cybrids Obtained byFusion of Brassica rapa and B. oleracea.- IV. 3 Somatic Hybridization Between Radish (Raphanus sativus) and Rapeseed (Brassica napus).- IV.4 Somatic Hybridization Between Brassica and Sinapi.- Section V Somatic Hybridization in Medicinal Plants — Including Tobacco.- V.I Somatic Hybridization of Medicinal Plants in the Family Solanaceae.- V.2 Somatic Hybridization in Datura.- V.3 Somatic Hybrids Between Nicotiana repanda and N. tabacum Show Resistance to Tobacco Mosaic Virus and Meloidogyne arenaria.- V.4 Somatic Hybridization Between Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.), and the Selection of a New Strain, 694-L.- V.5 Transfer of Lincomycin Resistance Through Somatic and Sexual Cybridization in Nicotiana Á. CSÉPL? (With 4 Figures).- V.6 Somatic Hybridization in the Family Apocynaceae (Catharanthus, Rauwolfia, Rhazya, and Vinca Species).- Section VI Somatic Hybridization in Trees (Citrus, Poncinus, Prunus, Pyrus, and Populus Species).- VI. 1 Somatic Hybridization of Citrus with Sexually Incompatible Wild Relatives.- VI.2 Somatic Hybridization Between Citrus sinensis and Poncirus trifoliata.- VI.3 Somatic Hybridization Between Pyrus × Prunus Species.- VI.4 Somatic Hybridization in Populus Species (Poplars).- Section VII Somatic Hybridization in Algae, Bryophytes, and Ferns.- VII. 1 Somatic Hybridization in Algae.- VII.2 Somatic Hybridization in Bryophytes.- VII.3 Somatic Hybridization in Ferns.