Plant Tissue Culture

Plant tissue culture or plant cell culture refers to the aseptic cultivation of plant cells or any plant parts on a suitable culture medium. Virtually every cloning of plant cells and every in vitro generation of transgenic plants is based on tissue culture. The growth and morphogenesis of plant cells depend on the composition of the medium.

Plant tissue culture media generally consist of various macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, amino acids, sugars, growth regulators and solidifying agents. Different plants have different requirements when it comes to the composition of their medium. HiMedia supplies various types of culture-specific media that are either ready-to-use or have to be supplemented by the user with additives such as growth factors.

In addition to plant cell media, HiMedia offers a complete range of auxiliary products for plant tissue culture, which facilitates the standardization of protocols for mass propagation and the development of new plant characteristics using modern biotechnology. These include:

• Salts and vitamins
• Gelling agents
• Antibiotics for contamination control and selection
• Enzymes
• Chemicals (Plant Tissue Culture tested), such as dyes, indicators, staining reagents, chromogenic substrates, carbohydrates, etc.
• Plant growth regulators

Plant hormones or plant growth substances have a modulating effect on the growth and development of plants. Synthetic substances or substances produced by fermentation processes that mimic the action of natural plant growth substances are called plant growth regulators and can be divided into five main classes: Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins, Polyamines and Abscisic acid.

Each of these classes has a specific role and function and, according to this, can be used to promote various physiological processes such as callus induction, somatic embryogenesis, root formation, axillary bud inhibition, cell elongation/division, regulation of organogenesis, somaclonal variation or seed germination. Auxins and cytokinins are the most commonly used regulators and usually form an integral part of plant nutrient media.

For more detailed information on growth regulation, see our Plant Growth Regulators brochure.