Production and testing of plants regenerated from protoplasts of photoperiod sensitive genic male sterile rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Plants were regenerated from protoplasts isolated from embryonic suspension cultures of N5047S, a photoperiod sensitive genic male sterile (PGMS) Japonica rice line. Flow cytometric analyses of nuclear DNA content identified some tetraploid regenerates whose agronomic traits could be distinguished from diploid regenerates. Pollen and female fertility of diploid protoplast-derived clones grown under different light and temperature conditions was compared. A promising PGMS protoplast clone, ZAU11S, was developed from these clones. Its male sterility was confirmed as a photoperiod × temperature interaction type. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.