SOMATIC-CELL FUSION BETWEEN DIPLOID POTATO (SOLANUM-TUBEROSUM) LINES USING TRANSFORMED ANTIBIOTIC SELECTION MARKERS

Two genes that confer resistance antibiotics, kanamycin and hygromycin B, were introduced into two respective lines of diploid potatoes by A grobacterium-mediated gene transfer. Protoplasts isolated from transfo rmants were fused and selected on a medium that contained the two anti biotics. All the regenerated shoots were resistant to both antibiotics . Southern-blot analysis, using the coding region of the two genes for antibiotics resistance as probes showed that the somatic hybrids reta ined both of the genes. The RFLP analysis confirmed the hybridity of t he regenerated plants by retaining the same bands from their fusion-pa rents. Somatic hybrids between diploid potato lines showed a high ploi dy level and were vigorous plants.