Genotypic Variability in Plant Regeneration from Explants of Capsicum spp. via Organogenesis and Embryogenesis

Abstract

Efficient plant regeneration in Capsicum species is constrained by genotype and explant dependence. In this study, optimal regeneration was achieved on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with B5 vitamins, BA, PAA and AgNO3. Supplementation with BA (5 mg L-1) in combination with PAA (2 mg L-1) produced elongated shoots with normal morphology. Screening of 43 inbred lines including C. annuum, C. baccatum, C. chinense, C. frutescens and C. pubescens for plant regeneration efficiency revealed substantial variation among genotypes. C. annuum, C. baccatum and C. pubescens displayed higher regeneration efficiency across all explant types compared with C. chinense and C. frutescens. Cotyledon and hypocotyl explants were generally more responsive than primary leaves. Somatic embryogenesis occurred only in C. frutescens line #461 through an direct callus-mediated pathway, but at extremely low efficiency. These results emphasize the strong influence of genotype and explant source on plant regeneration in pepper.