Somaclonal variation

Somaclonal variation is the variation seen in plants that have been produced by plant tissue culture. Chromosomal rearrangements
are an important source of this variation. The term somaclonal variation is a phenomenon of broad taxonomic occurrence, reported
for species of different ploidy levels, and for outcrossing and inbreeding, vegetatively and seed propagated, and cultivated and non-
cultivated plants. Characters affected include both qualitative and quantitative traits.

Somaclonal variation is not restricted to, but is particularly common in, plants regenerated from callus. The variations can be
genotypic or phenotypic, which in the latter case can be either genetic or epigenetic in origin. Typical genetic alterations are: changes
in chromosome numbers (polyploidy and aneuploidy), chromosome structure (translocations, deletions, insertions and duplications)
gene methylation.[1][2]
and DNA sequence (base mutations). A typical epigenetics-related event would be

If no visual, morphogenic changes are apparent, other plant screening procedures must be applied. There are both benefits and
disadvantages to somaclonal variation. The phenomenon of high variability in individuals from plant cell cultures or adventitious
shoots has been named somaclonal variation.

Contents
1 Advantages
2 Disadvantages
3 Reducing somaclonal variation
4 See also
5 References

Advantages
The major likely benefit of somaclonal variation is plant/crop improvement. Somaclonal variation leads to the creation of additional
genetic variability. Characteristics for which somaclonal mutants can be enriched during in vitro culture includes resistance to disease
pathotoxins, herbicides, high salt concentration, mineral toxicity and tolerance to environmental or chemical stress, as well as for
increased production of secondary metabolites.

suitable for breeding of new species

Disadvantages
A serious disadvantage of somaclonal variation occurs in operations which require clonal uniformity, as in the horticulture and
forestry industries where tissue culture is employed for rapid propagation of elite genotypes.

Sometimes leads to undesirable results

Selected variants are random and genetically unstable
Require extensive and extended field trials
Not suitable for complex agronomic traits like yield, quality etc.
May develop variants with pleiotropic effects which are not true.

Reducing somaclonal variation

Different steps can be used to reduce somaclonal variation. It is well known that increasing numbers of subculture increases the
likelihood of somaclonal variation, so the number of subcultures in micropropagation protocols should be kept to a minimum.
Regular reinitiation of clones from new explants might reduce variability over time. Another way of reducing somaclonal variation is
to avoid 2,4-D in the culture medium, as this hormone is known to introduce variation. Vitrification, commonly referred to as
hyperhydricity in the tissue culture world, may be a problem in some species. Hyperhydricity is a physiological malformation that
results in excessive hydration, low lignification, impaired stomatal function and reduced mechanical strength of tissue culture-
generated plants. In case of forest trees, mature elite trees can be identified and rapidly cloned by this technique.

High production cost has limited the application of this technique to more valuable ornamental crops and some fruit trees.

See also
Somatic embryogenesis

References
1. Miguel, C; Marum, L (Jul 2011)."An epigenetic view of plant cells cultured in vitro: somaclonal variation and beyond"
(http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/content/62/11/3713.long)
. J Exp Bot. 62 (11): 3713–25. PMID 21617249 (https://www.nc
bi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21617249). doi:10.1093/jxb/err155 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fjxb%2Ferr155).
2. Jaligot, E; Adler, S; Debladis, É; Beulé, T; Richaud, F; Ilbert, P; Finnegan, EJ; Rival, A (De
c 2011). "Epigenetic
imbalance and the floral developmental abnormality of the in vitro-regenerated oil palm Elaeis guineensis" (https://w
ww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3219487). Ann. Bot. 108 (8): 1453–62. PMC 3219487 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.ni
h.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3219487) . PMID 21224269 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21224269).
doi:10.1093/aob/mcq266 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Faob%2Fmcq266) .

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