Method of culturing conifer somatic embryos using S(+)-abscisic acid
View Patent ↗A method for promoting maturation and development of vigorous conifer (gymnosperm) somatic embryos comprising the use of S(+)-ABA as the substantive form of ABA.
1. A method of subjecting a somatic embryo of pine or Douglas fir to a maturation step of somatic embryogenesis, which method involves contacting an embryo of pine or Douglas fir with a culture medium containing an effective amount of abscisic acid (ABA) for said maturation step, wherein said ABA present in the medium comprises an excess of S(+)-abscisic acid (S(+)-ABA) relative to any other isomer of ABA.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said ABA present in the liquid medium comprises only S(+)-ABA.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of said S(+)-ABA is derived from a microorganism.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the microorganism is a fungus.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the embryo is selected from the group consisting of Pinus taeda (loblolly pine), Pinus radiata (radiata pine) and Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir).
6. The method of claim 2 , wherein said S(+)-ABA is present in an amount of less than 50% of a minimum amount of S,R(±)-ABA required for an identical method carried out using S,R(±)-ABA exclusively.
7. A method of promoting maturation and development of vigorous somatic embryos of pine or Douglas fir comprising the use of S(+)-ABA as the substantive form of ABA.
8. The method of claim 7 , in which the embryos are subsequently desiccated to a moisture content in a range of 3.1% to less than 30%.
9. The method of claim 7 , in which the S(+)-ABA is present at greater than 60% of the total ABA.
10. The method of claim 7 , in which the S(+)-ABA is present at greater than 75% of the total ABA.
11. A method of promoting maturation and development of vigorous somatic embryos of pine or Douglas fir having a moisture content in a range of 3.1% to less than 55% comprising the use of S(+)-ABA as the substantive form of ABA.
12. The method of claim 11 , in which the embryos are subsequently desiccated to a moisture content in a range of 3.1% to less than 30%.
13. The method of claim 11 , in which the S(+)-ABA is present at greater than 60% of the total ABA.
14. The method of claim 13 , in which the S(+)-ABA is present at greater than 75% of the total ABA.
15. A method of promoting maturation and development of vigorous somatic embryos of pine or Douglas fir comprising the use of S(+)-ABA, wherein the S(+)-ABA comprises greater than 50% of the total ABA forms provided to the embryos.
16. The method of claim 15 , in which the embryos are subsequently desiccated to a moisture content in a range of 3.1% to less than 30%.
17. The method of claim 15 , in which the S(+)-ABA is present at greater than 60% of the total ABA.
18. The method of claim 15 , in which the S(+)-ABA is present at greater than 75% of the total ABA.
19. A method of culturing embryogenic tissue of pine or Douglas fir in which a maturation step comprises the use of S(+)-ABA as the substantive form of ABA.
20. The method of claim 19 , in which the embryos are subsequently desiccated to a moisture content in a range of 3.1% to less than 30%.
21. The method of claim 19 , in which the S(+)-ABA is present at greater than 60% of the total ABA.
22. The method of claim 19 , in which the S(+)-ABA is present at greater than 75% of the total ABA.