Overcoming the complete sterility of interspecific hybrids between Nicotiana sylvestris Speg. & Comes and N-tabacum L. via tissue culture methods

Interspecific crosses were made between one accession of Nicotiana sylvestris as female parent and N. tabacum cv. Harmanhiska. basma 163 as a pollinator. F-1 plants combined morphological features of both parents: intermediate stem and leaves, flowers with an intermediate in size tube, tabacum-like corolla, as well as N. sylvestris-like filiform filaments and fragrance. The hybrid was completely sterile with chromosome number 2n=36. Tissue culture technique proved to be an efficient tool to overcome hybrid incompatibility. Stem parenchyma grown in vitro on MS nutrient medium was used to induce callusogenesis, organogenesis and rooting. Regenerants obtained after longer cultivation (VIIth passage) were male and female fertile and produced seed capsules after self-pollination. These plants were included in our breeding program. Electrophoretic analysis of seed proteins from N. sylvestris, N. tabacum, F, and R, was performed.