Somaclonal variation

Somaclonal variation is the term used to describe the variation seen in plants that have been produced by plant tissue culture. Chromosomal rearrangements are an important source of this variation.

Somaclonal variation is not restricted to, but is particularly common in plants regenerated from callus. The variations can be genotypic or phenotypic, which in the later case can be either genetic or epigenetic in origin. Typical genetic alterations are: changes in chromosome numbers (polyploidy and aneuploidy), chromosome structure (translocations, deletions and duplications) and DNA sequence (base mutations). Typical epigenetic related events are: gene amplification and gene methylation.

If no visual, morphogenic changes are appearant, other plant screening procedures must be applied. [1]