Isolation of a wheat cell line with altered membrane properties.

A spontaneous dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)-tolerant cell line was isolated from a cell culture of wheat (Triticum monococcum L.). The tolerant cells were able to grow in the presence of 4% DMSO. Cells formed from protoplasts of the tolerant line required DMSO for division in culture medium of high osmotic value.Fatty acid composition and the molar ratio of phospholipids/sterols suggest a more ordered membrane structure in the tolerant line. Accordingly, a lower K(+) influx rate was detected in the tolerant cells in comparison with the original line. These characteristics were maintained after 6 months' cultivation of the cells in DMSO-free growth medium. This suggested that genetic changes could be responsible for differences between the two cell lines.