DNA CONTENTS OF EMBRYO STRUCTURES OF BUTIA CAPITATA GERMINATING IN VITRO

We determined the DNA contents and assessed the quality of the flow cytometry analyses of different structures of Butia capitata arising at various stages during the In vitro germination and growth of zygotene embryos, characterizing them both morphologically and anatomically. The experiments evaluated 16 organs and stages, with the embryo, cotyledon petiole and haustorium being evaluated at 8, 16 and 27 days, the primary root and leaf sheath at 16, 27 and 37 days, and the leaves after 37 days; the mature leaf was used as a control. DNA contents were found to vary according to the structures analyzed. After 27 days of In vitro culture, the cotyledon petiole, leaf sheath and radicle showed the lowest coefficients of variation and had the same amounts of DNA. The haustorium and cotyledon petiole had higher DNA values at eight days, but with coefficients of variation, indicating less reliability of these analyses. Anatomical sections of both structures after eight days showed idioblasts with large quantities of phenolic compounds that probably interfered with the analyses.