title: Somatic Embryogenesis: Still a Relevant Technique in Citrus Improvement.
abstract: The genus Citrus contains numerous fresh and processed fruit cultivars that are economically important worldwide. New cultivars are needed to battle industry threatening diseases and to create new marketing opportunities. Citrus improvement by conventional methods alone has many limitations that can be overcome by applications of emerging biotechnologies, generally requiring cell to plant regeneration. Many citrus genotypes are amenable to somatic embryogenesis, which became a key regeneration pathway in many experimental approaches to cultivar improvement. This chapter provides a brief history of plant somatic embryogenesis with focus on citrus, followed by a discussion of proven applications in biotechnology-facilitated citrus improvement techniques, such as somatic hybridization, somatic cybridization, genetic transformation, and the exploitation of somaclonal variation. Finally, two important new protocols that feature plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis are provided: protoplast transformation and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of embryogenic cell suspension cultures.
authors.affiliation: Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida/IFAS, Lake Alfred, FL, 33850, USA.|Biochemistry Department, College of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44511, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmad A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Omar
authors.affiliation: Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida/IFAS, Lake Alfred, FL, 33850, USA.
authors.forename: Manjul
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dutt
authors.affiliation: Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida/IFAS, Lake Alfred, FL, 33850, USA.
authors.forename: Frederick G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Gmitter
authors.affiliation: Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida/IFAS, Lake Alfred, FL, 33850, USA. jgrosser@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Jude W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Grosser
mesh_terms: D060054:Agrobacterium / Q000235:genetics; D001709:Biotechnology; D002957:Citrus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D005638:Fruit / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D063245:Plant Development / Q000235:genetics; D058439:Plant Somatic Embryogenesis Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics; D011523:Protoplasts; D012038:Regeneration / Q000235:genetics; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Agrobacterium -mediated transformation; Cell suspension; Cybridization; Polyethylene glycol (PEG ); Protoplast fusion; Protoplast transformation; Somaclonal variation; Somatic hybrid