Direct shoot bud induction and plant regeneration in Capsicum frutescens Mill.:: Influence of polyamines and polarity

Direct shoot bud induction and plant regeneration was achieved in Capsicum frutescens var. KTOC. Aseptically grown seedling explants devoid of roots, apical meristem and cotyledons were inoculated in an inverted position in medium comprising of Murashige and Skoog (Physiol Plant 15: 472-497, 1962) basal medium supplemented with 2-(N- morpholine) ethanesulphonic acid buffer along with 2.28 mu M indole-3-acetic acid, 10 mu M silver nitrate and either of 13.31 89.77 mu M benzyl adenine ( BA), 9.29 - 23.23 mu M kinetin, 0.91-9.12 mu M zeatin, 2.46 - 9.84 mu M 2- isopentenyl adenine. Profuse shoot bud induction was observed only in explants grown on a media supplemented with BA (26.63 mu M) as a cytokinin source and 19.4 +/- 4.2 shoot buds per explant was obtained in inverted mode under continuous light. Incorporation of polyamine inhibitors in the culture medium completely inhibited shoothoot bud induction. Incorporation of exogenous polyamines improved the induction of shoot buds under 24 h photoperiod. These buds were elongated in MS medium containing 2.8 mu M gibberellic acid. Transfer of these shoots to hormone-free MS medium resulted in rooting and rooted plants were transferred to fields. This protocol can be efficiently used for mass propagation and presumably also for regeneration of genetically transformed C. frutescens.