Somatic Embryogenesis: A Multi-Step Plant Regeneration Process

Abstract

In Somatic Embryogenesis (SE), embryos form asexually from somatic cells. Somatic embryogenesis is most commonly associated with the in vitro culture of excised tissues in a nutrient medium containing exogenously supplied plant growth regulators. Plants which undergo apomixis develop embryos in the ovule without fertilization and fertile seeds are produced with the same genotype as the parent. This method is used in transformation procedures for many species. For this the differentiated plant cell needs to dedifferentiate (unless the cell is already meristematic) and form a stem cell, which develops through characteristic embryological stages to produce every cell type of the new plant. Therefore, the progenitor cell of a somatic embryo is a totipotent stem cell. A complete process of somatic embryogenesis involves induction of embryogenesis, embryo development, embryo maturation, and their conversion or germination to form complete plants and there are various factors that affect the process.