Abstract:Large populations of mesophyll protoplasts were released from the leaves of 1.5–2 month old sterile seedlings, with a high protoplast yield (3.7× 10 6g-1FW) after protoplast purification. The purified protoplasts were cultured in a modified K8p liquid medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L 2,4-D, 1 mg/L NAA and 0.5 mg/L BA. Higher density (1× 106/ml) in the initial culture of protoplasts is favourable to the division of cultured mesophyll protoplasts of this woody species among the densities tested. The protoplasts started to divide after 6 days of culture, and achieved 26.8% division frequency by 14 days. Sustained divisions resulted in mass production of cell colonies and small calli in 8 weeks. The calli further grew to 2–3mm on the gelrite-solidified K8 medium supplemented with 0.2 mg/L NAA aud 0.5 mg/L BA. Then, they were transferred onto the MSB proliferation medium with 0.1 mg/L NAA and 0.25 mg/L BA, where compact and cream-coloured calli were formed. Shoot formation was initiated on MSB differentiation medium coraming 0.5 mg/L IAA, 1 mg/L each of BA and ZT. It was observed that the frequency of shoot formation was about 28.7%. Whole plantlets were regenerated upon transferring 3 cm shoots to 1/2MS medium with 0.5mg/L IBA and 0.1mg/L BA, from which they were already transplanted into pots and grew well in the phytotron of Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology.