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Tissue Culture, Genetic Transformation and Cold Tolerance Mechanisms in Cold-Hardy Palms

Lokuge, Meepa A.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1165607767

Abstract Details

2006, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Botany.
Palms are a familiar and characteristic feature of tropical landscapes. Some palm species survive temperatures below -6.7°C (20° F) and few survive temperatures below -17.7°C (0° F). Needle palm, cabbage palm and Chinese windmill palm are very resistant to cold under USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6 conditions. The first part of this study was undertaken to develop a tissue culture system for the clonal propagation of cold-hardy palms with desired characters and with the ultimate goal of producing a system for genetic transformation. Windmill palm was regenerated from shoot apical meristem tissues via indirect organogenesis, giving rise to viable plants that fully acclimated to greenhouse conditions. With cabbage palm 1.5 µM dicamba was optimal for the induction of somatic embryogenesis from zygotic embryos. The second part of this study was aimed at developing a genetic transformation system for cold-hardy palms. Cabbage palm was selected because it’s widespread use throughout USDA Zone 8 and previous data suggest that with minor improvement in cold tolerance this palm could be grown in even colder areas. Cabbage palm zygotic embryos were successfully transformed with the marker genes gfp and gus using the two most common plant transformation methods, biolistic and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Results indicated that Agrobacterium -mediated transformation gave more promising results when compared with the biolistic method. Plants exhibit two strategies for surviving extremely cold weather: freeze avoidance and freeze tolerance. Both strategies involved supercooling mechanisms and other adaptations that have not been characterized in palms. The final part of this dissertation was aimed at studying these mechanisms using the most cold-hardy palm, the needle palm, as a model system. According to our results needle palm supercooling capacity is already pronounced even in warm-incubated foliage and does not change significantly after exposure to cold-acclimating conditions. To further investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying this cold tolerance, a proteomic approach was used to examine initial changes of the leaf proteome upon cold treatment. Protein identification was difficult due to non- availability of relevant genome sequences. Nevertheless, 2- dimensional gel electrophoresis suggested that significant changes in protein products occur in needle palm leaves when challenged with non-lethal cold.
Kenneth Wilson (Advisor)
148 p.
Cold-hardy palms; regeneration; somatic embryogenesis; genetic transformation; supercooling; proteomics; Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei); cabbage palm, (Sabal palmetto); needle palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix)

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Citations

  • Lokuge, M. A. (2006). Tissue Culture, Genetic Transformation and Cold Tolerance Mechanisms in Cold-Hardy Palms [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1165607767

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Lokuge, Meepa. Tissue Culture, Genetic Transformation and Cold Tolerance Mechanisms in Cold-Hardy Palms. 2006. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1165607767.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Lokuge, Meepa. "Tissue Culture, Genetic Transformation and Cold Tolerance Mechanisms in Cold-Hardy Palms." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1165607767

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2006, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Miami University and OhioLINK.