An in vitro Culture System used to Investigate Possible Interactions between the Embryo Proper and the Suspensor in Embryogenesis in Japanese Larch (Larix leptolepis GORDON)

摘要

It has been proposed that the suspensor has important roles in early embryogenesis in seed plants. However, the roles of the suspensoi are not well understood, because the development of zygotic embryos normally occurs deep within both the endosperm and the maternal cells. In this paper, we report the development of an in vitro culture system to investigate the roles of the suspensor in the development of the embryo proper, using a somatic embryogenesis system with Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis GORDON). Our results indicate that the suspensor is essential for the normal development of somatic embryos of this species. This method provides a useful experimental system to investigate the interactions between the embryo proper and the suspensor.