Flow cytometric and karyological analysis of polysomaty and polyploidization during callus formation from leaf segments of various potato genotypes

Flow cytometry and karyological analysis were used to study polysomaty and polyploidization during the first 15 days of callus formation in leaf segments from shoot cultures and greenhouse-grown plants of various lines and genotypes of Solanum tuberosum and S. phureja. The greenhouse-grown plants showed a higher degree of polysomaty (77% and 49% of polyploidized nuclei) than the shoot cultures (< 3%). During the in vitro culture period, polyploidization occurred through endoreduplication. Segments of the five shoot cultures showed up to 87%, 53%, 59%, 45% and 56% polyploidization, respectively; the DNA content of corresponding interphase nuclei amounted to 8C, 16C, 16C, 16C and 8C, and the chromosome numbers to 96. Segments from the two greenhouse-grown genotypes showed up to 87% and 84% polyploidization; the DNA content amounted to 32C and 16C, and the chromosome numbers to 192 and 96. The number of reduplication cycles was species-dependent; the degree of polyploidization was dependent on the initial ploidy level of the genotypes. Cell proliferation did not take place at a constant rate. The maximum frequencies of metaphases (52-171 per segment) occurred after 1 week of culture and were correlated with the ploidy level of the genotypes. Cells were triggered to mitosis rather than to endoreduplication. Cell cycles with normal monochromosomes could be shorter than 1 day, and those with diplochromosomes lasted at least 1 day. Polysomaty, degree of polyploidization and abnormal nuclear processes are discussed in relation to the origin of genetic instability early in culture.