Trichostatin A increases embryo and green plant regeneration in wheat

Chemical agents such as trichostatin A (TSA) can assist in optimization of doubled haploidy for rapid improvements in wheat germplasm and addressing recalcitrance issues in cell culture responses. In wheat, plant regeneration through microspore culture is an integral part of doubled haploid (DH) production. However, low response to tissue culture and genotype specificity are two major constraints in the broad deployment of this breeding tool. Recently, the structure of chromatin was shown to be linked with cell transitions during tissue culture. Specifically, repression of genes that are required for cell morphogenesis, through acetylation of histones, may play an important role in this process. Reduction of histone acetylation by chemical inhibition may increase tissue culture efficiency. Here, the role of trichostatin A (TSA) in inducing microspore-derived embryos was investigated in wheat. The optimal dose of TSA was determined for wheat cultivars and subsequently validated in F-1 hybrids. A significant increase in the efficiency of DH production was observed in both cultivated varieties and F-1 hybrids. Thus, the inclusion of TSA in DH protocols for wheat breeding programs is advocated.