Isolation, Culture, and Fusion of Rice Protoplasts

Wild species within the genus Oryza and other related graminaceous species offer sources of important genes conferring traits such as salinity tolerance and resistance to pests and diseases (Swaminathan 1986). Since many of the wild species in question are sexually isolated from rice, protoplast fusion offers a unique opportunity to develop previously unobtainable hybrids and cybrids. Furthermore, direct interactions of protoplasts with recombinant plasmids can lead to the incorporation and expression of specific-gene constructs.