Somatic hybridization between dendranthema grandiflorum and salpiglossis sinuata via protoplast fusion

Somatic hybridization between axenic shoot culture of Dendranthema grandiflorum and albino cell suspension of Salpiglossis sinuata was investigated. Out of six fusion protocols and three culture media, electrofusion and KP8 medium were found to be most effective in generating somatic hybrids. Hybrid selection strategy, based on complementation for chlorophyll proficiency by the fusion of a non-dividing mesophyll protoplast system and a cytoplasmic albino mutant protoplast system was effective. Following plant regeneration, the hybridity of the regenerated plants was confirmed by morphological, cytological and biochemical analyses. Morphologically, these hybrids resembled D. grandiflorum. The somatic chromosome numbers of these plants were 2n=60. Leaf peroxidase and esterase isoenzyme analyses showed that the regenerated plants contained the banding patterns of D. grandiflorum, plus two bands associated with S. sinuata in the peroxidase profiles.