Isolated maize zygotes mimic in vivo embryonic development and express microinjected genes when cultured in vitro.

We established conditions for the regeneration of natural maize zygotes isolated from pollinated plants with the goal of investigating the molecular control of early embryogenesis in higher plants. Viable zygotes were excised from embryo sacs by minimal enzymatic digestion and microdissection. Viable zygotes transferred to coculture with androgenic microspores from barley developed into embryo-like structures in 61% of the cases. No development was observed when zygotes were cultured in the presence of maize anthers undergoing androgenetic embryogenesis. Zygote-derived embryo-like structures regenerated into fertile plants through secondary embryogenesis when transferred to solid medium. The first zygotic division was asymmetrical and bipolar structures similar to pretransitional embryos observed in planta were later produced as observed using light and electron microscopy. Conditions for efficient microinjection of DNA into zygotes were established. Calcofluor and PATAG staining of zygotes showed that cell wall regeneration occurred as early as 20 min after enzymatic isolation and that after 2 hr, each zygote was bordered with cell wall material. Through quantitative microphotometry, DNA synthesis during the first cell cycle of the zygote was shown to occur between isolation and 12 hr of culture. Microinjection of two types of reporter genes (GUS gene and anthocyanin regulatory genes) demonstrates transient expression in plant zygotes. On average, 3.5% of microinjected zygotes showed transgenic expression. Reporter gene expression was observed in zygotes at different time points of their first cell cycle.