Effects of different boron salt treatments on micropropagation and genetic stability in in vitro cultures of Liquidambar orientalis Miller

In the present study, the boron salts effects on the micropropagation of Liquidambar orientalis, a relict-endemic plant species, were investigated and genetic stability of micro-shoots was determined by ISSR marker technique. Especially in species with low salinity and drought tolerance, salt stress may cause physiological and molecular changes such as plant growth and development, increase in secondary metabolite content in response to stress, and somaclonal variation. In this context, three different concentrations of boric acid, sodium perborate, sodium metaborate and disodium octaborate salts were applied to meristems isolated from in vitro clonal propagated L. orientalis and the effects of these boron salts on meristem regeneration and development were evaluated. When compared to the control group samples in which no salt application was applied, the best regeneration percentage was determined as 1mgL-1 disodium octaborate treatment with a value of 100%, while when the shoot forming capacity index was evaluated, 5mgL-1 sodium perborate treatment with a value of 4.94 gave the best results. However, when compared with the mother plant, it was observed that all salt treatments caused somaclonal variation on genetic stability, and in the light of the analyzed data, the lowest 30% (5mgL-1 disodium octaborate) and the highest 49% (1 mgL-1 boric acid) somaclonal variation were determined in all applications.