Amphasys_Wheat

New Study on Embryo Yield Prediction in Microspore Cultures

Coping with Increasing Demand for Wheat

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the second most important staple food crop worldwide, and it is accounting for a considerable amount of global human calorie consumption. Due to population growth and dietary changes, the demand for wheat is predicted to increase by up to 70% until 2050 [1]. Besides optimizing plant protection and plant nutrition, plant breeding exhibits a key role in increasing the productivity per land area.

Hence, new approaches and technologies are needed to meet this increasing demand.

Embryo Yield Prediction in Microspore Cultures with Impedance Flow Cytometry

In a recent study conducted by the applied research center Vegenov, the Amphasys Impedance Flow Cytometer Ampha Z32 was successfully used to characterize the developmental pathway of the microspores during the androgenesis process as well as to predict the embryo yield during the early stages of microspore cultures in wheat. The technology has proven to be a robust and reliable tool for embryo yield prediction within the first seven days of in vitro culture.

Impedance Flow Cytometry Allows the Early Prediction of Embryo Yields in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Microspore Cultures

Abstract :

“Haplomethods are key biotechnological tools that make it possible to rapidly produce perfectly homozygous lines, speeding up plant breeding programs. Under specific stress conditions, microspores are reprogrammed toward sporophytic pathways, leading to embryo formation. Various endogenous and exogenous factors affect embryo yield in androgenesis, so the improvement of androgenesis efficiency requires the development of early, reliable and robust reactivity markers. During the last decade, numerous cytological, cellular and biochemical approaches were carried out to finely characterize microspore development and fate during androgenesis.

However, the different available markers are often species-dependent, and their development and application are time-consuming and cumbersome. In this study, we show the suitable use of impedance flow cytometry (IFC) to develop new robust, reliable and strong markers of androgenesis reactivity in wheat, leading to: (i) routine monitoring of the viability of heterogeneous cell cultures; (ii) quick and simple evaluation of stress treatment efficiency; and (iii) early prediction of embryo yields from microspore suspensions. IFC can therefore provide the fine characterization of all of the microspore developmental pathways that occur in a cell suspension, for embryogenic microspores as well as pollen-like microspores. IFC technology has become a very useful tool to track and characterize wheat microspores in androgenesis, but can also be adapted to other species and other in vitro cell culture systems.” [2]

Sources:

[1] CGIAR Research Program on Wheat. 2017. https://wheat.org/wheat-in-the-world/. Accessed Oct. 20. 2020

[2] J. Canonge, M.Philippot, C. Leblanc, P. Potin, M. Bodin. Impedance flow cytometry allows the early prediction of embryo yields in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) microspore cultures. Plant Science 300 (2020) 110586.