Optimizing <i>In Vitro</i> Regeneration of Wheat via Somatic Embryogenesis Using Endosperm-Supported Mature Embryos

Wheat is a crucial crop for global food security, and effective in vitro plant regeneration techniques are considered a precondition for genetic engineering in wheat breeding programs. A practical approach for in vitro regeneration of the Kırik bread wheat cultivar via somatic embryogenesis was investigated using endosperm-supported mature embryos. Callus cultures were initiated from mature embryos supported by endosperm, cultured on phytagel-based Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium containing dicamba (12 mg/L) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) (0.5 mg/L) under dark conditions. This research was designed to examine the impact of putrescine (Put) (0.0 and 1.0 mM) on inducing embryonic callus and the effects of thidiazuron (TDZ) (0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 mg/L) on wheat regeneration. Adding 1.0 mM putrescine to MS medium significantly increased (p < 0.01) embryogenic callus formation, resulting in a complete (100%) induction rate. Moreover, the highest number of regenerated plants per explant (5.8) was obtained through the synergistic interaction between 1.0 mM putrescine and 0.5 mg/L TDZ. To assess the genetic homogeneity of regenerated plants, 10 different inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers were utilized, revealing a high level of genetic stability. The results of all the applications of a particular plant tissue culture technique showed a level of somaclonal variation within acceptable limits, indicating that the genetic diversity of the plant populations was protected without compromising the desired traits. These improvements offer a promising tool for wheat biotechnology, especially for genetic transformation.