IMPROVED PLANT HETEROKARYON FORMATION BY SURFACTANT-SUPPLEMENTATION OF POLYETHYLENE-GLYCOL FUSOGEN SOLUTION

PEG fusion solution for leaf protoplasts of Petunia parodii and cell s uspension protoplasts of albino P. hybrida cv. Comanche was supplement ed with 0.01-1.0% (w/v) Pluronic F-68. This stimulated protoplast fusi on overall, including parental homokaryon formation, with increased me ans of 23% and 83% respectively, over appropriate controls using 1.0% (w/v) surfactant added to the standard PEG solution. Interestingly, th e percentage heterokaryon formation increased near 2-fold (P < 0.001) for fusogen solutions supplemented with 0.01% (w/v) Pluronic. Protopla sts regenerated to colonies in KM8P/KM8 liquid medium, indicating no a dverse effects of Pluronic F-68 on viability, both in the short and lo nger terms.