Physiological Comparisons of Pith Callus with Crown-Gall and Genetic Tumors of Nicotiana Glauca, N. langsdorffii, and N. glauca-langsdorffii Grown in vitro. II. Nutritional Physiology

Explants of genetic tumors, tumors initiated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains B-6 and T-37, and excised pith plugs from Nicotiana glauca, N. langsdorffii, and N. glauca-langsdorffii were cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium. All cultures, pith callus and tumors with the exception of N. langsdorffii pith grew on this medium. Addition of glutamine to the medium resulted in highly organoid growth in N. langsdorffii pith. In order to have material comparable to other pith cultures, N. langsdorffii was initiated on 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid medium, after which it grows on complete medium as amorphous pith callus. Except for the initiation of N. langsdorffii (and N. glauca) pith, the 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid medium, caused bleaching in cultures of T-37 induced tumors and death of B-6 induced tumors. Tumor cultures, except for the seedling tumor, grew well on a minimal medium lacking kinetin, indoleacetic acid, vitamins, glycine, and inositol. Glycine was necessary only in the growth of N. langsdorffii pith callus. A tissue culture model is presented which permits comparison of the various tissue types.