Reflection Paper 5 Biotechnology

August 8, 2017

Combination of CMS and Protoplasmic fusion:

an essential biotechnology
Sasa, Christian Nino E.

Brassica species have been an essential plant in human history. Some of the current leafy vegetables we
are consuming right now are derived from a specific Brassica Spp. origin. As a product of selective
breeding and hybridization, biotechnologies have come up with vegetables such as broccoli, mustard,
and cabbage. This vegetable we commonly eat in order to supplement our body needs came from the
same plant origin. Many biotechnological techniques have been administered in order to diversify plants
to be able to come up different varieties to be consumed by vast majority of the people.

Selective breeding is one of the strategies human use in order to develop particular phenotypic traits or
characteristics by choosing which specific traits among two species would yield into a better variety.
Objectives of breeders are to preserve and enlarge the genetic variation. As presented on the research
study, a technique known as CMS or the cytoplasmic male sterility in which it is a way of plants are
conditioned to be inviable to produce functional pollen. It serves as an essential tool in the production of
hybrid seed in self-pollinating crop species.

Through somatic cell fusion it increases the cytoplasmic diversity among plant population. In the
research study on the Production of new CMS Brassica oleracea by transfer of “Anand” cytoplasm from
B. rapa through protoplast fusion. Aims of cytoplasmic sterility is to be advantageous interms for the
genetic purity of seeds and as well as for the aspect of economy. In the said research, a comprehensive
description was established as the transferring of the sterile ‘Anand’ cytoplasm from RC B.rapa to RC B.
oleracea by the process of protoplast fusion. The process begin with the acquisition of B. oleracea with
fertile oleracea cytoplasm and B. rapa with sterile ‘Anand’ cytoplasm and subjected to rapid cycling. Then,
shoots or seedlings were subjected to protoplasmic fusion. Protoplasmic fusion is a biotechnological
process of combining two cytoplasm in order to have the desired characteristics of the two. In the context
of the research, mesophyll protoplast (inner tissue of leaf (parenchyma), were exposed to diluted
chemical solutons. Using PEG 8000 as fusogenic agent, the cytoplasts were fused. Then, a plant analyses
were administered such as cytometry to determine the DNA content of the young leaves. One of the
Reflection Paper 5 Biotechnology
August 8, 2017

aims of these experiment is to produce male sterile pollens, as per this objective male fertility test was
undergone by exposing the pollen to acetocarmine and examined.

As a summary for the research conducted, 200 plantlet form 52 calli were regenerated from 3
protoplasmic fusion experiment. 17 % of 41 fusion-derived plants scored both for male fertility and ploidy
kevek were diploid and male sterile, suggesting that the ‘Anand’ phenotype had been effectively
transferred to the B. oleracea.

In simple explanation, the research comprehensively and complicatedly shows the essence of
protoplasmic fusion as well as cytoplasmic male sterility. To make male brassica plant sterile will give
ways on easy breeding of a new desired variety.

These biotechnological processes serve as a breakthrough in the field of plant breeding that is somehow
be beneficial to the agricultural sector as well as the economic sector. To produce wide varieties of plants
will can either be contribute to food sustenance of humans. By producing hybrid plants with our desired
trait that able to survive into different environments may somehow pave way on the resolution on food
shortage and famine, most specially on chaotic situation.