SOMACLONAL AND GAMETOCLONAL VARIATION

Abstract

For several years it has been recognized that introduction of plant cells into culture results in genetic changes. These genetic alterations have been recovered in the plants regenerated from cell cultures. More recently it has been recognized that this method of introducing genetic changes into crop plants could be used to develop new breeding lines. The technology of introducing genetic variation by using cell culture has been termed somaclonal and gametoclonal variation. This paper reviews the history of this technology and offers genetic documentation of somaclonal variation in tomato. As this variation represents a new tool for the plant breeder, breeding strategies for the use of this variation are presented and discussed. Somaclonal and gametoclonal variation are new tools for the geneticist and plant breeder that permit reduction in the time period for new variety development and that permit access to new classes of genetic variation.