Effect of Benzyladenine on DNA, RNA, Protein, and Chlorophyll Contents in Intact Bean Leaves: Differential Responses to Benzyladenine According to Leaf Age

Benzyladenine (BA) was applied to intact bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) leaves at different stages of their growth. Changes in the amounts of cellular constituents resulting from the different treatments were followed and compared. RNA, protein, and chlorophyll contents, dry weight, fresh weight, and leaf area per single leaf continued increasing when leaves were treated with BA from an early stage, whereas in untreated leaves all these values levelled off or declined with advancing age. Besides these changes, BA treatment induced an increase in the DNA content. Changes in RNA content was more remarkable in response to application or deprival of BA treatment than the corresponding ones in protein and chlorophyll contents. The pattern of response to BA varied greatly according to the age at which the leaf received the treatment. As leaves aged, they lost the ability to increase their area and fresh weight in response to BA. However, continuous treatment with BA from an early stage kept the leaves young and able to respond.     

Effects of Benzyladenine on Chlorophyll, DNA, RNA and Protein Content of Attached Young Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Leaves

N⁶-Benzyladenine (BA) was applied to intact bean (Phaseolusvulgaris L.) primary leaves at 2 and 6 days after imbibition,when they were in the cell division and post-cell division stages,respectively. BA treatment at day 2 temporarily inhibited an increase in chlorophyllcontent in the following day, but stimulated it in later days.No such inhibition by BA was observed for changes with timein DNA, RNA, and protein content and f. wt. On the other hand,BA treatment at day 6 enhanced RNA and protein content, withoutsignificant influence on DNA and chlorophyll content and f.wt. The mode of cytokinin action on greening in leaves during cell-divisiongrowth seems to be different from that in etiolated cotyledons. Phaseolus vulgaris L., bean, greening, benzyladenine, DNA, RNA, protein     

CHANGES IN THE RESPONSE OF CARROT ROOT CALLUSES TO THE ROOT EXTRACT OCCURRING DURING THEIR SUCCESSIVE CULTURES

1. Alcohol extract of carrot root promoted the growth of the carrotroot callus which had been succesively cultured for more than18 months (CCL) on the medium containing WHITE'S inorganic salts,sucrose, yeast extract and 2, 4-D, but only a weak promotionwas observed for the growth of the carrot root callus whichhad been cultured for less than 14 months (CCS).
2. The activesubstances were fractionated by Amberlite IR-120and AmberliteIRA-400 into four fractions; C, D, E, and F. Eachfraction seemedto act synergistically to produce the effectof the whole carrotroot extract on the growth of CCL.
3. Fraction F of the carrotroot extract, which was adsorbed byAmberlite IRA-400 but notby Amberlite IR-120, promoted thegrowth of CCL in the presenceof other fractions, but had noeffect on the growth of CCS.So the different responses to thealcohol extract of the carrotroot calluses having differentlengths of successive cultureperiod seemed to depend mainlyon the ability of respondingto fraction F.
4. Using four strains of carrot root callusesof different origin,it was ascertained that different responsesof carrot root callusesto fraction F depended on the lengthof their culture and noton their strain-specific characters.
5. The substances active for the growth of CCL in the carrotrootextract passed through a dialysis membrane. These substanceswere little affected by autoclaving and remained in the aqueouslayer when shaken with several organic solvents: n-butanol,ethyl acetate, chloroform, benzene, ethyl ether and carbon tetrachloride.
6. Alcohol extract of carrot root also promoted the growth ofcarrotroot explant, tobacco stem callus and sunflower crowngall tissue.

(Received December 24, 1964; )     

CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO PURINE AND PYRIMIDINE DERIVATIVES OF CARROT ROOT CALLUS DURING SUCCESSIVE CULTURING

1. The growth of the carrot root callus which had been subculturedfor a long period (CCL) was promoted by the addition of 5l0^–8and 5l0^–7 M kinetin, whereas in the callus subculturedfor a short period (CCS) no growth promotion was observed atany concentrations of kinetin tested.
2. CCL showed an increasedgrowth in response to the applicationof kinetin, guanine, adenine,hypoxanthine, uracil, thymine,and cytosine in the presenceof fractions A and C of carrotroot extract, whereas no suchresponse was observed in CCS.CCL required fraction C to respondto uracil and probably purineand pyrimidine derivatives ingeneral.
3. The growth of CCL was promoted by kinetin, guanine,adenine,or hypoxanthine in the medium containing inositol andaminoacids mixture. In this case the growth-promoting actionof guanine,adenine, or hypoxanthine was nullified by kinetin.

(Received December 24, 1964; )     

Ommochrome Deficiency in an Albino Strain of a Terrestrial Isopod,Armadillidium vulgare

In order to clarify the cause of ommochrome deficiency in an albino strain of the terrestrial isopod, Armadillidium vulgare, levels of xanthom-matin, 3-hydroxykynurenine, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid and tryptophan in whole body extracts of the albino and the wild type individuals were determined together with enzyme activities of kynurenine-3-hydroxylase, kynureninase and tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase. Xanthommatin could not be detected in the albinos. The levels of 3-hydroxykynurenine and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid were determined by high-performance liquid chro-matography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection and were markedly low in the albinos compared with the wild type individuals. In contrast to those, the tryptophan levels determined by HPLC with fluorescence detection did not differ significantly between the two phenotypes. In the albino A. vulgare, kynurenine-3-hydroxylase activity was lower and kynureninase activity was higher than in the wild type, although the differences were not statistically significant. Tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase activity in the albinos was less than 10% that in the wild type. Thus, ommochrome deficiency in the albino A. vulgare is considered to be caused by the extremely low activity of tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase.     

The Effect of Benzyladenine on Changes in Nuclease and Protease Activities in Intact Bean Leaves during Ageing

Primary leaves of intact bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were treated with benzyladenine (BA) at different stages during growth. Changes in DNase, RNase, and proteas activities in the leaves were followed. Unlike the case of various excised tissues, cytokinin raised the activities of these hydrolases in intact bean leaves. Because BA elevated the levels of DNA, RNA, and protein in intact leaves, it may stimulate both synthesis and decomposition of these cellular constituents. The hydrolase activities showed differential responses to BA according to the age at which the leaf received the hormone treatment.     

云南省水稻纹枯病菌系研究*

将来自云南省20多个县市的水稻纹枯病标样130多份,选代表性的标样分离得到54个菌株。按菌丝融合测定法, 将54个菌株分为5个菌系:R.solani的AG-1 IA ,AG-1 IC,AG-6GW 以及双核丝核菌的AG-Bb, AG-I II。经致病性测定表明,该菌系对水稻、玉米、小麦的苗期及成株期的致病性有显著差异。其中AG-1 IA, AG-1 IC, AG-I II 的致病力最强, AG-6GW的最弱。对这些菌系的酯酶同工酶进行比较研究发现,不同菌系间均存在明显差异, 而同菌系不同菌株间却具一致性。由此说明,按菌丝融合与否区分丝核菌种群较之现行的其它分类法更能反映其遗传本质和亲缘关系。