IN VITRO CULTURE AND APOGAMY-ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY IN THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE MOSS AMBLYSTEGIUM SERPENS (AMBLYSTEGIACEAE)

TIJANA CVETIĆ1,2, M. SABOVLJEVIĆ1,3, ANETA SABOVLJEVIĆ1,4, AND D. GRUBIŠIĆ1,5

1Institute of Botany and Jevremovac Botanical Garden, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

2Center for Multidisciplinary Studies, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

3Nees Institute of Plant Biodiversity, Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelms University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany

4Institute of Botany, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany

5Siniša Stankoviæ Institute for Biological Research, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Abstract - In vitro culture of the moss Amblystegium serpens (Amblystegiaceae) was established on hormone-free Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium that contained a half amount of MS micro- and macro- mineral salts and vitamins, 100 mg/l myo-inositol, 30 g/l sucrose, and 0.70% (w/v) agar. Spores were germinated and primary protonema developed on the above medium at 16 h day/8 h night, 25±2ºC, 60-70% air humidity, and irradiance of 47 ìmol/m2s. Three months after development of primary protonema, seven sporophytes appeared directly from primary protonema without generation alternation. The phenomenon of apogamous sporophyte formation is very rare, both in nature and under in vitro conditions. This is the first report of apogamy induced by Amblystegium serpens.