Somatic Embryogenesis and Plant Regeneration from Immature Zygotic Embryo Culture in Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

An efficient system of somatic embryogenesis was established for the red pepper plant (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Nokkwang) usign immature zygotic embryos. The size of the immature zygotic embryos and the concentrations of 2, 4-D and sucrose were found to be critical. Somatic embryos were induced via callus or directly from explants and regenerated into plantlets successfully. When zygotic embryos 1~2 mm long were cultured on the modified Murashige-Skoong (MS) medium supplemented with 2 mg/L 2, 4-D for 3 weeks in the dark, somatic embryos were induced directly from the apical region of zygotic embryos with the highest frequency being approximately 90%. To mature the somatic embryos, ABA and an ethylene inhibitor AgNO3 were used. The highest frequency of shoot regeneration (25% in each) resulted at 2$\mu$M ABA or 20$\mu$M AgNO3 treatment at rates 3.7 and 1.6 times control, respectively. Shoots developed mainly from the cotyledonary node on CoCl2-containing medium, and from the upper side of cotyledon on medium containing AgNO3 while the embryos on the control medium produced shoots from both the cotyledonary node and the upper region of cotyledons both at frequencies of 50%. Indirect somatic embryogenesis via callus was induced at an efficiency of approximately 10% with zygotic embryos 3~4 mm long cultured on MS medium containing 5~10 mg/L, 2, 4-D for 5~7 weeks under a continuous light condition. The plants regenerated from the somatic embryos were morphologically normal. Using scanning electron microscopy, the direct and indirect somatic embryogeneses were observed to follow the globular, heart and torpedo stages, similar to zygotic embryogenesis. Also, suspensors appeared in the early globular and ovoid-shaped late globular embryos during indirect somatic embryogenesis.