A COMPARISON OF SOLUBLE SUGAR ACCUMULATION IN ZYGOTIC AND SOMATIC PEA EMBRYOS

Abstract

This study compares the soluble sugar content of zygotic and somatic pea embryos. It was noted that mature somatic embryos differed from zygotic embryos with respect to carbohydrate composition. Mature zygotic pea embryos contained glucose, myo-inositol, sucrose, maltose, galactinol, galactosyl-cyclitols, raffinose, stachyose and verbascose. The presence of maltose, galactosyl-cyclitols, stachyose and verbascose was not determined in somatic embryos, and their total soluble sugar content was below that of zygotic embryos. High sucrose levels in somatic embryos most probably resulted from the presence of sucrose in the growth medium. Monocotyledonous and irregular somatic embryos were characterized by a different sugar profile than regularly shaped somatic embryos and seeds.