Molecular Techniques for the Detection of Ploidy Level and Genetic Fidelity of Regenerated Plantlets

Most of the medicinal, aromatic and other commercially important crops are poor rooters, and some of them are sessile in terms of seed production; hence these plants are very difficult to propagate either through stem cuttings based vegetative propagation or through seedlings based sexual propagation. During the last two decades, plant tissue culture has emerged as an alternative technique for the propagation of plants with commercial importance. Majorly, the somatic tissues, viz., leaf, node and shoot tip, are being used as explants for the production of genetically similar plantlets through tissue culture studies. Recently, abnormalities with respect to ploidy level and genetic fidelity have been reported in In Vitro regenerated plantlets. This is mainly due to the usage of synthetic chemicals or artificial plant growth regulators in In Vitro culture studies, the fragile nature of callus and exposure of cultures to artificial light sources. In order to ensure the commercial production of genetically true clones of commercial plants, nowadays it has become an obligatory step to assess the ploidy level and genetic fidelity of regenerated plantlets with that of mother plants. This book chapter focussed on different molecular techniques which are in use for the detection of ploidy level and genetic fidelity of In Vitro micro propagated plantlets.

Keywords: Medicinal plants, Tissue culture, Molecular techniques, Ploidy level, Genetic fidelity.