Abstract:
An efficient system has been developed for the reproducible regeneration of plants from
cell suspension-derived protoplasts of the two commercial Iranian Japonica rice cultivars
Tarom and Khazer. Friable embryogenic calli were used for cell suspension initiation
and protoplasts were isolated from both varieties. When embedded in agarose, protoplasts
failed to divide. However, sustained divisions were obtained by using nurse cells of
Lolium moltiflorum. Plant regeneration was 21.1% and 10.5% for Tarom and Khazer, respectively.
Somaclonal variation was observed amongst regenerated plants, 16.2% of regenerants
were tetraploid, and the rest were diploid.
