Cytogenetic characterization of Encyclia caximboensis cultivated in vitro (Orchidaceae)

Abstract

Encyclia caximboensis is an Amazonian species endemic to the Serra do Cachimbo, which is located between the northern of the Mato Grosso state and the southern part of Para state. Studies reporting in vitro cultivation and cytogenetic characterization of this species are still scarce. Therefore, the objective of this work was to determine the cytogenetic characteristics and to identify the nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) of the species E. Caximboensis, cultivated in vitro. Seeds of E. caximboensis were disinfected using a syringe and subsequently cultivated in MS medium without growth regulators. The germination started after 20 days of culture, with the development of protocorm and 40,500 seedlings were obtained after 90 days of culture. To perform the cytogenetic characterization, root tips of 180-day-old seedlings were submitted to blocking treatment using 3 µM trifiuralin and then fixed in methanol-acetic acid solution, 3:1 (v/v). The meristems were submitted to enzymatic digestion, fixed in methanol-acetic acid solution, 3:1 (v/v) and the slides were stained using 5% Giemsa solution. Ag-NOR banding was carried out on 20-day-old slides by incubation in 50% silver nitrate solution (AgNO3) for 19 hours. The results indicated that E. caximboensis has 2n=2x=24 with all metacentric type chromosomes, ranging from 1.88 to 0.66 pm in length, with simple NORs in small blocks localized in the proximal region of the third chromosome pair.