Anther and Pollen Culture

By placing anthers or isolated
pollen grains on a suitable

nutrient medium haploid plants
may be generated-anther and
pollen culture
HISTORY
 W.TULECKE(1953)
First observed that mature pollen grains of Ginkgo biloba(a
gymnosperm) can be induced to prolifrate in culture to form haploid
callus.
S.GUHA AND S.C MAHESWARI(1964)

 First reported the direct deveiopment of embroys from microspores
of Datura innoxia by the culture of excised anther.
J.P. BOURGIN AND J.P.NITSCH(1967)

 Obtained complete haploid plantlents from anther culture of
Nicotiana tabacum.
ANTHER CULTURE
 Anther culture is a technique by which the
developing anthers at a precise and critical stage
are excised aseptically from unopened flower bud
and are cultured on a nutrient medium where the
microspores within the cultured anther develop into
callus tissue or embryoids that give rise to haploid
plantlets either though organogenesis or
embryogenesis.
POLLEN CULTURE
 Pollen or microspore culture is an in vitro technique
by which the pollen grains preferably at the
uninucleated stage ,are squeezed out aseptically
from the intact anther and then cultured on nutrient
medium where the microspores, without producing
male gametes , develop into haploid embryoids or
callus tissue that give rise to haploid plantlets by
embryogenesis or organogenesis.
ANDROGENESIS
 Androgenesis is the in vitro development of
haploid plants originating from totipotent
pollen grains through a series of cell division
and differentiation.
 It is of two types.
ANDROGENESIS
1) Direct androgeneis:-
Without callus formation
The microspores behaves like a zygote and
undergoes chance to form enbryoid which ultimately
give rise to a plantlet.
2) Indirect Androgenesis:-
With callus formation
The microspores divide repeatedly to form a callus
tissue which differentiates into haploid plantlets.
PRINCIPLE OF ANTHER AND POLLEN CULTURE
 The production of haploid plants exploiting the

totipotency of microspore .
 In this process the normal development and

function of the pollen cell to become a male
gamete is stopped and is diverted forcely to a
new metabolic pathway for vegetative cell
division .
FACTORS INFLUENCING ANTHER CULTLRE
1) Genotype of donor plants:-

The genotype of the donor plant plays a significant
role in determining the frequency of pollen production.
 Example :- Hordeum of each genotype differs with respect
to androgenic response in anther culture.
2) Anther wall factor:-
The anther wall provide the nourishment in the
development of isolated pollen of a number of
species.
 There are reports that glutamine alone or in combination
with serine and myoinositol could replace the anther wall
factor for isolated cultures.
FACTOR INFLUENCING ANTHER CULTURE
3) CULTURE MEDIUM:-
The anther culture medium requirements vary with
genotype and probably the age of the anther as well
as condition under which donor plants are grown.
 In corporation of activated charcol into the medium has
stimulated the induction of androgenesis.
 The iron in the medium plays a very important role for
the induction of haploids .
 Potato extracts ,coconut milk and growth regulators like
auxin and cytokininare used for anther and pollen
culture.
FACTORS INLUENCING ANTHER CULTURE
4) Stage of microspores:-
In most of the cases anther are most productive
when cultured at the uninucleate microspore stage.
Example ,barely, wheat , rice etc.
 Anther of some species give the best response if pollen
is cultured at first mitosis or later stage
Example:-Datura ,tobacco.
FACTOR INFUENCING ANTHER CULTURE
5) Effect of temperature:-
Temperature enhance the induction frequency of
microspore androgensis.
 The low temperature treatment to anther or flower
bud enhance the haploid formation.
 The low temperature effects the number of factors
such as dissolution of microtubules lowering of
absicisic acid maintenance of higher ratio of viable
pollen capable of embryognesis.
FACTOR INFLUENCING ANTHER CULTURE
6) PHYSIOLOGICAL STATUS OF DONAR PLANT:-

 Physiological status of donor plant such as water
stress nitrogen requirement and age of donor plant
highly effect the pollen embryogenesis.
 Plants starved of nitrogen may give more

responsive anthers compared to those that are well
fed with nitrogenous fertilizers.
DEVELOPMENT OF ANDROGENIC HAPLOIDS
Pathway -1:-
The uninucleate pollen grain (microspore) divide
symmetrically to yield two identical daughter cells
both of which undergo further division.
Vegetative and generative cells are not distinctly
formed in this pathway .Example:-Datura innoxia.
Pathway:II:-
The division of uninucleate microspores are un equal
resulting in the formation of a vegetative and
generative cell.
Vegetative cells give rise to callus/ embryo and
generative cell degenerate.
Example:-Nicotina tabacum, Datura, Wheat, Barley,
Triticale, Chilli etc.
Pathway III:-
 The uninucleate Microspores undergoes a normal
unequal division i.e. generative and vegetative cells
produced
 The pollen embryo are formed from generative cell
alone. Example ;- Hyoscyamus niger.
Pathway IV ;-
 The division of microspore is asymetrical.
 Both vegetative and generative cell divide further and
contribute to the dvelopment of the sporophyte.
Example:- Atropa belladona.
Pathway V:-
 The uninucleate Microspores undergoes a symetrical
division i.e. identical cells are produced.
 The pollen embryo are formed from vegetative cell
only. Example ;- Brassica napus.
METHOD OF ANTER AND POLLEN CULTURE
ADVANTAGE OF POLLEN CULTURE OVER ANTHER
CULTURE
 Anther culture ------possibility of somatic

cells (diploid ) respond to the culture
condition and so produce unwanted
diploid calli or plantlets.
 Sometimes the growth inhibiting
substances leaking out of the anther wall

may interrupt the development of
microspores.
IMPORTANCE OF POLLEN AND ANTHER
CULTURE
(1)Utility of anther and pollen culture for basic

research:-
(a) cytogenetic studies : Single set of chromosome,
chromosomal behaviour during meisis etc.
(b)Study of genetic recombination ……. Classical
example of Neurospora crassa
(c) In mutation study…. Easy to detect recessive
mutants. Example :- Nitrate reductase mutants are
reported in Nicotiana tabacum.
(2)Anther culture are use to obtain the alkaloid Example :-
Homozygous recombination Hyoscyamus niger having
higher alkaloid content is obtain by anther culture.
(3)Haploid are use in molecular biology and genetic
engineering. Example:- Haploid tissue of Arbidopsis
and lycopersicon have been used for the transfer and
expression of genes from bacteria.
(4) In Plant Breeding:
Utility of Haploid in Plant Breeding
 Obtaining homozygous diploid in short period of
time.–Diploidization, Doubled Haploid Line (DHL),
Doubled haploid technique
 China is leading in use of this technique for crop
improvement
 Generally, pollen from F1 hybrid—cultured –
diploidization –DHL (disomic)or RIL --- Variation

(Homozygous) —Selection This is also known as
Hybrid sorting
Quick conversion from heterozygosity to Homozygosity
Selected line– used as variety or parents in
hybridization programme
Success stories:
 More than 100 promising strains have been developed in

China
Crop Improved Strains
Rice Xin Xiu, Zhongua 8, Zhongua 9, Tanfeng 1, Tanfong 1,
Hua Yu 1, hua Yu 2 etc.
Wheat Hua Pei 1, Lung Hua 1, Yun Hua 1, Yun Hua 2
Tobacco Tan Yu 1, Tan Yu 2, Tan Yu 3
 In barley when Hordeum vulgare is crossed with H. bulbosum,
the cross is successful but the bulbosum chromosomes are

eliminated during subsequent development of the embryo- this
technique is used for production of haploids
 e.g. Mingo and gwylan

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Anther and Pollen Culture

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By placing anthers or isolated

pollen grains on a suitable

S.GUHA AND S.C MAHESWARI(1964)

J.P. BOURGIN AND J.P.NITSCH(1967)

 The production of haploid plants exploiting the

 In this process the normal development and

1) Genotype of donor plants:-

6) PHYSIOLOGICAL STATUS OF DONAR PLANT:-

 Plants starved of nitrogen may give more

 Anther culture ------possibility of somatic

substances leaking out of the anther wall

(1)Utility of anther and pollen culture for basic

diploidization –DHL (disomic)or RIL --- Variation

 More than 100 promising strains have been developed in

the cross is successful but the bulbosum chromosomes are

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