SEXUAL TRANSMISSION OF THE IN-VITRO REGENERATION CAPACITY VIA CAULOGENESIS OF CUCUMIS-MELO L. IN A MEDIUM WITH A HIGH AUXIN CYTOKININ RATIO/

Cotyledonary explants from one seedling of Cucumis melo cv. Cantaloupe Charentais showed shoot regeneration capacity in a medium with a high auxin/cytokinin ratio. To date, in this medium, only growth of unorga nized callus had been observed. From these shoots, a somaclone (GM, Ge notype showing Morphogenic response) was obtained. Cotyledonary explan ts from 50% of the plants obtained from the self-fertilization of GM s omaclone again showed shoot regeneration capacity in the high auxin/cy tokinin ratio medium, while explants from plants of the control popula tion did not. This fact proves a sexual transmission of this trait. Mo reover, all leaf explants from the GM somaclone readily formed shoots when placed on a caulogenic medium. Leaf explants from plants of the c ontrol population showed a high variability in shoot regeneration capa city. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.