SOMACLONAL VARIATION

Presented By-
Alex Mathew
M.Sc. Biotechnology
2nd semester
• Somaclonal Variations - is the variation
seen in plants that have been produced
by plant tissue culture.
• The variations can be genotypic or
phenotypic.
• The term somaclonal variation was first
used by Larkin and Scowcroft in 1981.
 CAUSES OF SOMACLONAL VARIATION
PHYSIOLOGICAL CAUSE GENETIC CAUSE BIOCHEMICAL CAUSE

• Exposure of • Change in • Lack of

chromosome photosynthetic
culture to ability due to
number
plant growth alteration in
• Change in
regulators chromosome
carbon
metabolism
structure
• Culture • Gene Mutation • Biosynthesis of
conditions • Transposable starch via
element carotenoid
activation pathway

• Nitrogen
metabolism

• Antibiotic
resistance
Detection and Isolation of Somaclonal Variants
1.Analysis of morphological characters
Qualitative characters: Plant height, maturity date,
flowering date and leaf size
Quantitative characters: yield of flower, seeds and wax
contents in different plant parts

2.Variant detection by cytological Studies

Staining of meristematic tissues like root tip, leaf tip
with feulgen and acetocarmine provide the number and
morphology of chromosomes.

3.Variant detection by DNA contents

Cytophotometer detection of feulgen stained nuclei can
be used to measure the DNA contents
4.Variant detection by gel electrophoresis
Change in concentration of enzymes, proteins and
hemical products like pigments, alkaloids and amino
acids can be detected by their electrophoretic pattern

5.Detection of herbicide resistance variant

Plantlets generated by the addition of herbicide to the
cell culture system can be used as herbicide resistance
plant.

6.Detection of disease resistant variant

Pathogen or toxin responsible for disease resistance can be
used as selection agent during culture.
 ADVANTAGES
• The major likely benefit of
somaclonal variation is
plant/crop improvement.
• Somaclonal variation leads to
the creation of additional
genetic variability.
• Increased production of
secondary metabolites.
• Selection of plants resistant to
various toxins, herbicides, high
salt concentration and mineral
DISADVANTAGES
• Sometimes leads to undesirable
results.
• Selected variants are random
and genetically unstable.
• Require extensive and extended
field trials.
• Not suitable for complex
agronomic traits like yield,
quality etc.
 WAYS TO REDUCE SOMACLONAL
VARIATION
• It is well known that increasing numbers of
subculture increases the likelihood of
somaclonal variation, so the number of
subcultures in micropropagation protocols
should be kept to a minimum.
• Another way of reducing somaclonal
variation is to avoid 2,4-D in the culture
medium, as this hormone is known to
introduce variation,
 EXAMPLES
• TITLE:SOMACLONAL VARIATION OF
CHRYSANTHEMUM PROPAGATED in vitro FROM
DIFFERENT EXPLANTS TYPES
• PUBLISHED DATE :14 October 2013
• SUMMARY:Regeneration of adventitious shoots
from two explant types, leaves and internodes,
in eight chrysanthemum cultivars was done in
order to find a more efficient source of
somaclones .The analysis of pigment content in
florets revealed the presence of carotenoids in
somaclones, while in control plants they were
lacking.
• TITLE : Differential salt-stress response during
germination and vegetative growth in in vitro
selected somaclonal mutants of Cenchrus
ciliaris L.
• PUBLISHED DATE : 21 May 2013
• SUMMARY : Four somaclonal mutants and
their parental Cenchrus ciliaris were
characterized under salinity conditions at
germination and vegetative growth stages.
Seeds of all somaclonal mutants had higher
germination percentages than parental seeds
in the control and salt treatments.
• TITLE : Use of somaclonal variation and in vitro
selection for chilling tolerance improvement in
rice
• PUBLISHED DATE : 10 June 1997
• SUMMARY : Four rice varieties cultivated at high
altitude were submitted to different
temperature regimes. The most chilling-tolerant
somaclonal families were most usually
characterized by extensive differences in fatty
acid composition, chilling-induced electrolyte
leakage and chlorophyll fluorescence, compared
to the varieties they derived from.
• TITLE : Somaclonal variation of regenerated
plants in chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)
• PUBLISHED DATE : 20 October 2002
• SUMMARY : The morphological and genetic
variations in somaclones of chilli pepper derived
from tissue culture were evaluated. Genetic
variations among three somaclones were
revealed by random amplified polymorphic DNA
(RAPD) analysis. Occurrence of productive
variants among somaclones of established
cultivars,indicates the possibility of their
improvement through somaclonal variation.
• TITLE : RAPD CHARACTERIZATION OF
SOMACLONAL VARIATION IN INDICA
BASMATI RICE
• PUBLISHED DATE: 13 November 2003
• SUMMARY : Seeds of three cultivars of indica
basmati rice were sterilized and incubated for
on callus induction medium. RAPDs can
successfully be used to explore such
polymorphism within and among different
cultivars of basmati rice.
THANK YOU