Enhancement in androgenesis efficiency in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by the addition of dimethyl sulfoxide to the mannitol pretreatment medium

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a well-known solvent widely used in cell biology owing to its specific physicochemical properties, which allow it to decrease the lipid bilayer's thickness and membrane fluidity while increasing membrane permeability. To improve doubled haploid production using an anther culture method in barley and bread wheat, the addition of DMSO to the pretreatment medium was tested. The first experiment was carried out on four barley cultivars with varying degrees of androgenetic ability by exposing them to four DMSO concentrations (0, 0.2, 1 and 2 % v/v). The medium with 1 % DMSO was the most effective in increasing the numbers of embryos and plants. The highest concentration tested (2 %) negatively impacted all of the measured variables when compared with the results of the 1 % DMSO addition, probably owing to a toxic effect. The effects caused by this solvent were more remarkable on the most recalcitrant cultivars, in which there was a threefold increase in the number of green plants. Furthermore, a downward trend in the albinism rate was observed as the concentration of DMSO increased. In a second experiment, we compared a 1 % DMSO supplement with the control to determine whether its addition was effective in several cultivars and F1 crosses of bread wheat. As in barley, there was a marked increase in the number of green plants, leading to a twofold to fourfold increase in both cultivars and F-1 crosses.