Chrysanthemum plants regenerated from ovaries: a study on genetic and phenotypic variation

Authors: NATALIA MILER, IWONA JEDRZEJCZYK

Abstract: Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum × grandiflorum /Ramat./Kitam.) is the second most popular ornamental plant in the global flower industry, and there is still a demand for novelty, which forces breeders to search for new sources of variation. The aim of the present study was the evaluation of phenotypic as well as genetic variation of chrysanthemum plants regenerated from ovaries in vitro. In the first vegetative season of plants evaluated in the glasshouse, nine phenotypic variants (16.36%) and 46 (83.6%) true-totype plants were observed. The variation included variegated, marble-like, and lighter-green leaves, and changes in the morphology of inflorescences and ligulate florets, as well as changes in the shape of corymb. Variants with variegated and marble-like leaves were unstable. All 55 regenerants had the same ploidy level (2n = 6x) as control plants, estimated by flow cytometry. Genetic analysis based on RAPD-PCR revealed genetic distances ranging from 0.93% to 7.69% between variants and control plants. It was concluded that variable regenerants did not originate from the gynogenic pathway, but they regenerated from somatic tissue and underwent somaclonal variation.

Keywords: Genetic distance, ploidy level, RAPD, somaclonal variation

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