PRODUCTION OF SOMATIC HYBRID CALLI BETWEEN HORDEUM-VULGARE L AND HORDEUM-BULBOSUM L

As a step towards the development of a somatic hybridization system, protoplast fusion between Hordeum vulgare L. and Hordeum bulbosum L. was performed. In H. vulgare an embryogenic cell suspension was chosen as a protoplast donor. In H. bulbosum the npt II gene was introduced into protoplasts and then one of the resulting lines was used for hybridization experiments. Protoplasts were fused by a newly developed method using polyethyleneglycol (PEG) and Millicell inserts. Selection of hybrid cells was based on iodoacetoamide (IOA) inactivation and antibiotic resistance. RFLP analysis using rDNA probes confirmed the production of somatic hybrid cell lines between H. vulgare and H. bulbosum.