Individual selection, culture and manipulation of higher plant cells.

Due to the heterogeneity in morphology, physiological and morphogenetical capabilities of higher plant cells in mass culture, the development of methods for individually culturing defined cells seemed to be useful and necessary. Individual cell culture represents a powerful tool for studies on the physiology of different cell types, the analysis of differentiation programs, the genetic manipulation of plant cells and cell-cell interactions. An improved microculture system based on a computer-controlled set-up for the efficient selection, transfer and individual culture of defined higher plant cells until regeneration of whole plants is described. Related experimental approaches for individually manipulating higher plant cells under controlled conditions, such as electrofusion of defined pairs of protoplasts and subprotoplasts, cell reconstruction and intranuclear microinjection of protoplasts and karyoplasts — mainly performed with cells of the crop plant Brassica napus L. — are presented.