Effect of Various Osmotic Substances on Protoplast Isolation by Enzymes

Summary A suspension of Beta vulgaris cells was used to investigate the effects exerted by various osmotic substances upon the process of protoplast isolation by cell wall digesting enzymes. A maximal number of free protoplasts and the half-life period of the protoplast isolation served for evaluation. It became apparent that a substitution of mannitol or glucose by KCl for adjusting the osmotic pressure substantially increases the number of isolated protoplasts and leads to a considerable shortening of the necessary times for the treatment by enzymes. Salt stress caused by the KCl medium did not affect the viability of protoplasts in culture experiments.