Colony Formation by Isolated Convolvulus Cells Plated on Defined Media

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Abstract
Cell suspensions were produced by shaking friable callus from roots of Convolvulus arvensis in liquid medium. Single cells and very small cell clusters obtained by filtering the suspensions through stainless steel mesh, when plated on agar medium in petri plates, divided and formed colonies both on yeast-extract medium and on a completely defined medium. Auxin, kinetin, myo-inositol, and sucrose were required for the initial division of the plated cells, while macronutrient salts, FeCl3, thiamine-HCl, and L-glutamine promoted the continued growth of cell colonies. Single cells divided and formed clones on the defined medium, although multicellular clusters did so more frequently. Differences between the requirements of callus masses and isolated cells were found. Cells were inhibited by many single amino acids and by levels of macronutrients and auxins which promoted callus growth. Kinetin was required by plated cells and not by callus. Possible causes of such size-dependent differences in requirement are discussed.