During somatic hybridisation in plants

Options

A. somaclones are produced in large numbers
B. the apical meristems are cultured to get virut-free plants
C. the cell walls and the middle lamella digested before fusing the cells
D. crop plants with higher lavels of vitamins, proteins and minerals are hybridised.

Answer

C

Explanation

Somatic hybridisation is the technique used in laboratories in which protoplasts of two different plant species are fused together on a suitable nutrient medium to develop a hybrid known as somatic hybrid.
During this process, cell walls and middle lamella of the single cells are digested by the enzymes like pectinase and cellulases to expose the marked protoplasts.
After which these isolated protoplasts are fused to obtain hybrid protoplasts under sterile condition. This fusion is induced by Polyethylene Glycol (PEG).