In vitro propagation and genetic characterization as effective tools for conservation of Silene leucophylla, grown in St. Katherine Protected Area, Sinai, Egypt

Abstract

Silene leucophylla is a very rare endemic perennial species growing in the stony habitats at Wadi Tarfa-Solaf microhabitat of St. Katherine Protected areas (SKP), Sinai, Egypt. The present study reports the use of in vitro propagation and genetic characterization as an effective strategy for conservation of this rare species. The developed system relied on multiple shoot organogenesis from explants excised from few number of aseptically growing seedlings. A maximum shoot production (150 shoot per single explants) was achieved on Murashige and Skoog's medium (MS) supplemented with 4.5 benzyl adenine (BA), 0.5 g/l casein and 0.5 mg/l silver nitrate. The obtained results also indicated that a regeneration medium contained 4 mg/l BA; 0.4 mg/l NAA; 0.2 mg/l GA3; 200 mg/l adenine sulfate; 0.5 mg/l silver nitrate; 0.5 g/l casein and 100 mg/l myoinositol favored rooting of the proliferated shoots. In order to devise an appropriate tissue culture media type and regime for true-to-type plantlets, genetic analysis of tissue culture-derived plantlets (vitroplants) was studied using RAPD-PCR analysis and morphological descriptions of vitroplants (tissue culture-derived plantlets) produced on different regeneration media. The results of the molecular analysis using RAPD-PCR indicated that optimization of in vitro culture system based on tissue culture criteria must be coupled by simple, cheap and reproducible method for the detection of genetic stability at the DNA level vitroplants.

In vitro propagation and DNA barcode analysis of the endangered Silene schimperiana in Saint Katherine protectorate

“…Concerning other Silene species, the present study gave rooting response on completely different PGRs combinations. For example; for Silene leucophylla, MS medium supplemented with 4 mg/L (17.94 μM) BA, 0.4 mg/L (2.16 μM) NAA, 0.2 mg/L (0.58 μM) GA 3 , 20% adenine sulfate, 0.05% silver nitrate, and 0.05% casein favored rooting of the proliferated shoots [6]. The optimal medium for rooting of Silene fetissovii, Silene obovata, Silene sussamyrica, and Silene ladyginae was MS medium supplemented with the addition of 1 mg/L (5.72 μM) indole acetic acid (IAA) [7].…”

“…In the present study, a preliminary rooting experiment was carried out using each auxin individually and some of the treatments used with other Silene species from the literature (such as Saker et al [6]. This experiment resulted in the production of weak unfunctional roots with a low percentage of rooting.…”

“…In vitro propagation of other species of Silene have been achieved previously, such as S. leucophylla [ 6 ], S. fetissovii , S. obovata , S. sussamyrica and S. ladyginae [ 7 ], Silene cretacea [ 8 ], Silene bolanthoides [ 9 ] and Silene fabaria subsp. domokina [ 10 ].…”

Re‐assessment of the endemic taxa in the Egyptian Flora

“…Silene leucophylla occupies a very restricted area due to overgrazing by sheep and goats, over-collection for scientific research. It was noticed that 50% of the germinated seedlings could not survive (Saker et al, 2011). Climate change is predicted to further reduce the available habitat of this high-elevation specialist (Omar, 2018).…”

Microhabitats Affect Population Size and Plant Vigor of Three Critically Endangered Endemic Plants in Southern Sinai Mountains, Egypt

“…Similarly, P. boveana, which is a perennial hemicryptophyte, has been reported as one of the rarest plant species worldwide [11,12]. Furthermore, the population size of S. leucophylla, another perennial hemicryptophyte in Saint Katherine protectorate, is about 50 individuals distributed over seven locations [13][14][15]. The high environmental pressures expected from future global warming place these endemic species in fragile ecological habitats.…”