Question

What is protoplast fusion?

Answer 1

Protoplast fusion:

The protoplasm of the living plant cell excluding the cell wall is called protoplast. Fusion of the protoplast derived from somatic cells of plants belonging to different species produces a hybrid protoplast, this process is called protoplast fusion. Fusion of protoplasts can be obtained -

• Either chemically with the help of a mixture of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and a high concentration of calcium at pH 8.
• Or physically by electrofusion.
• The pomato is a transgenic crop produced by protoplast fusion of a tomato plant and a potato plant.

Diagram: Protoplast fusion of tomato and potato to form pomato cell.