INTERGENERIC PROTOPLAST FUSION BETWEEN BRASSICA-CARINATA AND CAMELINA-SATIVA

Camelina sativa is a wild crucifer that is reported to be resistant to Alternaria blight. Polyethylene glycol mediated fusion was attempted between protoplasts from etiolated hypocotyls of Brassica carinata and mesophyll protoplasts of Camelina sativa. The mean frequency of heter okaryons was 6.8%. Three hybrid shoots were regenerated, each from a s ingle fusion-derived callus. These shoots failed to produce roots capa ble of withstanding transplantation. Confirmation of hybridity was obt ained from the morphology of in vitro produced leaves, somatic chromos ome number in leaf tips, and restriction fragment length polymorphism for a nuclear rDNA probe. Analysis for organelle constitution using RF LPs indicated that the hybrid contained chloroplasts derived from the wild species and mitochondria from the cultivated Brassica species.