مشخصات پژوهش

Several species in the genus Peperomia Ruiz & Pav. have giant chloroplasts in the palisade parenchyma of their leaves. Because of this unique feature, Peperomia metallica L. Linden & Rodigas has become a valuable model plant for studying plastid biology. However, the use of Peperomia for molecular studies has been limited by the lack of efficient regeneration and transformation protocols. In this work, we aimed to develop a reliable regeneration system for Peperomia from leaf explants. Using MS medium complemented with different combinations of phytohormones, a highly efficient in vitro regeneration protocol was developed for P. metallica and P. peduncularis, another species with giant chloroplasts. Regeneration occurs through direct organogenesis from leaf discs at a very high frequency. Our protocol can provide a reliable tissue culture system for future Peperomia genetic transformation experiments.