Various Media Formulations for in Vitro Clonal Propagation and Agrobacterium-Mediated Genetic Transformation of Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.)-A Promising Biodiesel Crop

Abstract

In the contemporary scenario, where the global community is perplexed with burgeoning oil prices, depleting fossil fuel reserves and global warming, Jatropha curcas can prove to be a panacea to humanity. Due to its enormous potentials of substituting oil fossil fuels and saving ecological system from further deterioration, its production and propagation has paramount importance. Conventional breeding methods are not adequate enough for this. Only the application of plant tissue culture and transformation techniques can expedite this process. The prerequisite for this is the establishment of efficient regeneration protocols. Therefore, through the present study our focus was to establish Jatropha curcas germplasm under in vitro conditions. Various media formulations were used to establish the Jatropha curcas germplasm using the embryo excised from mature seeds. Direct regeneration of the Jatropha curcas was partially accomplished using various field grown explants which include leaves and internodal stem segments nurtured on MS media fortified with various combinations of auxins and cytokinins. Also the indirect organogenesis was initiated through the callus generated from the leaf explants. Studies were also made on the sensitivity of Jatropha curcas L. for various antibiotics. For this Jatropha curcas embryos were nurtured on Murashige and Skoog’s medium containing antibiotics. Along with the sensitivity, the growth characteristics were also recorded so as to select the markers for Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation. Endeavours were also made to establish a protocol for the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of Jatropha curcas L. using leaf explants and internodal stem segments. In the conclusion, this study gives useful insight of the protocols for the direct and indirect regeneration of the Jatropha harnessing various explants, the sensitivity of the Jatropha plant to various antibiotics and the transformation of Jatropha through Agrobacterium tumefaciens.