Establishment of long-term proliferating shoot cultures of elite Jatropha curcas L. by controlling endophytic bacterial contamination

Leaf explants of the second or third node were collected from field-grown elite Jatropha curcas trees and incubated in Murashige and Skoog's (Physiol Plant 15:473-497, 1962) medium supplemented with growth regulators. Direct shoot organogenesis was induced when explants were incubated in a medium containing 0.5 mg l(-1) benzyladenine (BA) and 0.1 mg l(-1) indolebutyric acid (IBA). A maximum of seven shoot buds differentiated within 6 weeks of culture incubation. Indirect shoot organogenesis was obtained when explants were incubated in the medium supplemented with 0.5 mg l(-1) BA along with 1.0 mg l(-1) each of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and indoleacetic acid (IAA). A pulse treatment of 0.5 mg l(-1) thidiazurone (TDZ) and 0.1 mg l(-1) IBA for 5 days was necessary for shoot organogenesis in green compact callus before subculture into 0.5 mg l(-1) BA and 0.1 mg l(-1) IBA containing medium. Leaf explants of J. curcas, collected from the field, contained endophytic bacterial contamination, which expressed itself after 2-3 subcultures. These bacteria were cultured and identified as Enterobacter ludwigii. After staining, these were found as gram-negative bacteria. Their sensitivity against different antibiotics has been tested by culturing them with different antibiotic stabs for 72 h. Finally, AugmentinA (R) was found as the most effective and suitable antibiotic which not only controlled the bacteria within 2-3 subcultures but also supported the regeneration system and growth of the regenerated shoots and such cultures have been grown for a long-term of over 2 years without any contamination.