Question

Hybridization through protoplast fusion is called as ?

• A. Emasculation
• B. Parasexual hybridisation
• C. Germinal hybridisation
• D. Inbreeding

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

• Hybridization through protoplast fusion is called as parasexual hybridization.
• Protoplasts are single cells that have been stripped of their wall exposing the plasmalemma.
• A special property of the protoplasts is that when brought into close contact they tend to fuse with each other irrespective of the sources of the protoplasts.
• The technique of fusion of isolated protoplasts from somatic cells and regeneration of hybrid plants from the fusion products, called somatic hybridization or parasexual hybridization completely bypasses the sex and, thus, allows combining genomes of two desirable parents, irrespective of their taxonomic relationship.
• An advantage of parasexual hybridization is in creating new combinations of nuclear and/or cytoplasmic genomes, leading to enrichment of the current gene pool.