PLANT-REGENERATION FROM LEAF SEGMENTS OF DATISCA-GLOMERATA

Datisca glomerata is a perennial plant with a herbaceous annual habit, that forms nitrogen-fixing root nodules in association with the micro symbiont Frankia sp. (Actinomycetales). Datisca offers an important po ssibility as a model system to study genetics and gene expression in a n actinorhizal root nodule symbiosis. Neither regeneration by in vitro culture nor genetic transformation of Datisca have been reported to d ate. As the first step, we studied plant regeneration from leaf tissue of Datisca. In preliminary experiments with 16 treatments, the best r egeneration media was MS + BA, 10 mu M + NAA, 0.5 mu M + phloridzin, 1 0 mg/l. The best regeneration efficiency ranged from 26 % to 33.3 %.