GC-MS-SIM analysis of abscisic acid and indole-3-acetic acid in shoot bark of apple rootstocks

Concentrations of abscisic acid and indole-3-acetic acid were measured by GC-MS-SIM in the shoot bark of clonal apple rootstocks (M.27, M.9, MM.106 and MM.111) when the rootstocks were growing actively in the UK. These rootstocks are known to exhibit a wide range of control of tree size when grafted to a common scion. Shoot bark of the dwarfing rootstocks (M.27 and M.9) contained higher concentrations than the more vigorous rootstocks (MM.106 and MM.111) of ABA. Concentrations of ABA increased from May to July, followed by a decline in August. Only the month of sampling showed any significant influence on the concentration of IAA in shoot bark; however, there was a general increase, although not significant statistically, in IAA concentration with the increasing invigoration-capacity of the rootstock. At each sampling date the dwarfing rootstocks showed greater ratios of ABA:IAA than the invigorating rootstocks and generally the ratio for each rootstock increased from May to July, except for M.27 which showed the smallest ratio in June and the largest ratio in August. The results are discussed in relation to the generally accepted control exerted by the rootstocks on tree size and the possible influence of ABA on polar auxin transport.     

Polyamines,indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid in rice phloem sap

Putrescine, spermidine, spermine and cadaverine have been identified and quantified in rice phloem sap and shoot extracts by HPLC. It is suggested that diamines, putrescine and cadaverine, easily migrate into the phloem, while movement of a triamine, spermidine, and a tetramine, spermine, tend to be restricted. Spermine especially seems to be the most immobile among polyamines. Thus it is indicated that movement of polyamines into phloem is decreased with increasing number of amino groups. Indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid in rice phloem sap were also analyzed by HPLC and it is suggested that indole-3-acetic acid is transported freely into phloem, while abscisic acid is much more actively exuded into phloem.     

Indole-3-acetic acid and indole-3-acetylaspartic acid isolated from seeds of Heracleum laciniatum Horn

Seeds from mature flowers of Heracleum laciniatum were collected locally (Tromsø, Norway). Seed coats were removed and the seeds were analyzed for their content of free, free plus ester-conjugate, and total indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) by quantitative gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Seeds contained high levels of free and amide-linked IAA relative to other dicotyledonous seeds for which values have been published. The major amide conjugate in this material was identified as indole-3-acetylaspartate by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of its bis-methyl ester.     

Organogenesis in callus derived from stem and leaf tissues of apple and cherry rootstocks

Callus formation from stem internodes of the apple rootstocks M.9, M.25, M.26, M.27 and the cherry rootstock Colt, and from pith of Nicotiana tabacum cv. Wisconsin 38 was initiated on 4 -naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA)-based media (2.0–10.0 mg1^-1). Transfer of callus to corresponding media lacking NAA allowed regeneration of shoots from callus of M.25, M.27, Colt and tobacco but not of M.9 and M.26. With M.25 phloroglucinol (PG) depressed regeneration from 30 to 10% and no regeneration was observed in cultures grown in the presence of casein hydrolysate (CH) and glutathione (GSH).Organogenesis was also obtained from leaf discs of M.27 employing 6-benzyl-aminopurine (BAP) at 5.0mg 1^-1 and 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) at 0.1 mg1^-1. The regenerated shoots have been multiplied and rooted.Organogenesis also occurred in M.26 from small (1–2mm), green, compact embryoid-like structures derived from stem and leaf surfaces of excised axillary shoots. These structures differentiated into shoots at a low frequency (< 1%) on media containing BAP (1.0mg1^-1) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) (0.1 mg1^-1) and could also be micropropagated by subsequent axillary shoot proliferation.     

Histological study of initiation and development in vitro of adventitious roots in minicuttings of apple rootstocks of M 26 and EMLA 9

Apple rootstocks M 26 and EMLA 9 'COST' shoots propagated in vitro were used for the histological study of initiation and development of adventitious roots after a brief induction pretreatment. The results show that there are differences in mode and timing of initiation and development of adventitious roots between the two varieties. In M 26, adventitious roots were directly initiated from the derivatives of the cambium, some of which were immediately transformed into meristemoids in situ 36 h after pretreatment. Subsequently, meristemoids differentiated into root primordia. Development of adventitious roots were completed when they emerged at the surface of stem bases 10 days after pretreatment. In EMLA 9, before the meristemoids formed, internal cell files were formed by continuous divisions of cambial cells. The cells were regularly arranged in files external to the cambium. On the fourth day after pretreatment, some cells in the outermost layers of these files became meristematic, started to divide and turned into meristemoids, which differentiated into root primordia. The cells of the files between the root primordium and the cambium were transformed into vascular tissues which connected the vascular systems of the adventitious roots and stems.     

Growth patterns and endogenous indole-3-acetic acid concentrations in current-year coppice shoots and seedlings of two Betula species

Apical dominance, internode elongation, radial growth and xylem cell size in coppice and apical shoots of Betula pubescens B. Pendula were determined and related to endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels, measured by gas chromatography-selected ion monitoring in the apical bud and at three positions along the stem. The effects of defoliation and debudding on morphological and anatomical characters and endogenous IAA levels were also investigated. The coppice shoots displayed superior stem elongation and increased branching during the initial phase of growth, after which their growth pattern was similar to that of the seedlings; however, their radial growth was greater throughout the experiment. Both plant types produced smaller-sized xylem cells at the top of the shoot than at the bottom with coppice shoots tending to form larger tracheids and smaller vessels than the seedlings. There was no consistent difference in IAA concentration between the coppice shoots and the seedlings. Defoliation and debudding reduced the IAA level in the stem within 36 h and it was still low after 25 days. Although the extent of the IAA decrease was similar in both coppice shoots and seedlings, the treatments affected the morphological and anatomical characters differently in the two plant types. The results suggest that the observed differences between seedlings and coppice shoots were not mediated through a drastic change in IAA level.     

Indole-3-acetic acid biosynthesis in Lemna gibba studied using stable isotope labeled anthranilate and tryptophan

IAA biosynthesis in many plants, including Lemna gibba, has been shown to involve at least two different pathways, one from tryptophan and a tryptophan-independent route. To study the kinetics of IAA biosynthesis in Lemna, we simultaneously measured the incorporation of label from [15N]-anthranilate and [2H5]-tryptophan into IAA by Lemna plants in short term feeding studies. The data show that label from anthranilate rapidly goes into IAA and tryptophan. Labeling of the IAA pool by [15N]-anthranilate slightly precedes labeling of the tryptophan pool, confirming that more than one route to IAA exists in these plants. Longer term feeding studies (5–25 h) suggest that exogenous tryptophan is used preferentially to label IAA as compared to tryptophan made by the plant. This is indicated by the fact that the IAA pool was more enriched than the tryptophan pool in [2H5]-label, but less enriched than the tryptophan pool in [15N] (which comes about by de novo synthesis of tryptophan from [15N]-anthranilate by the plant).     

Level of endogenous indole-3-acetic acid in the stem of Pinus sylvestris in relation to the seasonal variation of cambial activity

Abstract. Gas chromatography – selected ion monitoring – mass spectrometry was used to measure the level of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in the cambial region at the top and bottom of the branchless portion of the main stem of three large Scots pine trees, at weekly intervals from 28 April to 13 July. During this period, the cambium reactivated from the dormant state and entered its 'grand' period of xylem and phloem production, which was monitored by microscopy. The total amount of IAA (ng cm⁻²) increased steadily from 28 April until late June, and thereafter remained constant. In contrast, the concentration of IAA (ng g⁻¹ fresh weight) was high at the start of cambial reactivation, declined when the number of differentiating tracheids began to increase, and then rose as the number of cells decreased. The timing and magnitude of the changes in xylem and phloem production and in IAA level were similar at the two sampling positions. It is concluded that the seasonal changes in cambial activity in the conifer stem cannot be ascribed simply to a fluctuation in the level of endogenous IAA in the cambial region.     

Relationship between the grain pattern in the wood,domain pattern and pattern of growth activity in the storeyed cambium of trees

Summary The relationship between the arrangement of cell events occurring in cambium in a definite configuration and the grain pattern of wood was investigated. Taking into consideration the growth activity of fusiform cell ends, a model of a migrating morphogenetic wave determining an event configuration was made. Waves of length =1 m for the periods T=2 years and T=3 years and waves of lengths =l m and =0.04 m for the period T=10 years were considered. On the model, events from successive annual rings, conventionally comprising 10 cell layers each, were summed. In this way, event maps were obtained. For wave =4 mm, the domain pattern on the modelled map was compatible with the grain pattern. The domain pattern for the wave =1 m was impossible to recreate because the wave migrated too fast. In this case, the pattern of event configuration, incompatible with the grain pattern, formed microareas, which were not domains.     

Indole-3-acetic acid in the culture medium of two axenic green microalgae

In the view of the facts that algal extracts have been used in agriculture asa source of plant growth stimulating agents and IAA has been shown to bepresent in the extracts, a study was planned to establish whether or notaxenic algae can produce IAA. Evidence is provided for extracellular IAAproduction during culture of two axenic green microalgae. IAAidentification was based on co-chromatography with the standard, analysisof UV and fluorescent spectra, and gas chromatography – selectedion-monitoring mass spectrometry. HPLC analyses showed that underthe experimental conditions the amounts of IAA released to the mediumby Scenedesmus armatus and Chlorella pyrenoidosa weregenerally low. IAA tended to occur in Scenedesmus armatus culturemedium at higher concentrations than in that of Chlorellapyrenoidosa. In fast-growing cultures of Scenedesmus armatus,constantly aerated with CO₂/air mixture, the concentration of IAAcalculated per cell was less than in the slow-growing cultures.     

Determinations of indole-3-acetic acid in xylem sap of Ricinus communis L. using mass fragmentography

Mass fragmentography employing a deuterated internal standard was used to make quantitative analyses of indole-3-acetic acid in xylem sap collected from Ricinus communis L. When contamination of the sap by microorganisms was reduced by frequent collection, levels of IAA were found to be less than 0.5 ng ml^-1. It is therefore proposed that the transpiration stream does not play a significant role in the transport of IAA within the plant.Abbreviations IAA indole-3-acetic acid - GC-MS gas chromatography-mass spectrometry - BSTFA bis-Trimethylsilytrifluoroacetamide - TMCS trimethylchlorosilane - BSA bis-Trimethylsilylacetamide - TMS₂-IAA bis-trimethylsilyl derivative of IAA     

Interaction of 4-chloroindole-3-acetic acid and gibberellins in early pea fruit development

In pea, normal pod (pericarp) growth requires the presence of seeds; and in the absence of seeds, gibberellins (GAs) and/or auxins can stimulate pericarp growth. To further characterize the function of naturally occurring pea GAs and the auxin, 4-chloroindole-3-acetic acid (4-Cl-IAA), on pea fruit development, profiles of the biological activities of GA3, GA1, and 4-Cl-IAA on pericarp growth were determined separately and in combination on pollinated deseeded ovaries (split-pericarp assay) and nonpollinated ovaries. Nonpollinated ovaries (pericarps) responded differently to exogenous GAs and 4-Cl-IAA than pollinated deseeded pericarps. In nonpollinated pericarps, both GA3 and 4-Cl-IAA stimulated pericarp growth, but GA3 was significantly more active in stimulating all measured parameters of pericarp growth than 4-Cl-IAA. 4-Cl-IAA, GA1, and GA3 were observed to stimulate pericarp growth similarly in pollinated deseeded pericarps. In addition, the synergistic effect of simultaneous application of 4-Cl-IAA and GAs on pollinated deseeded pericarp growth supports the hypothesis that GAs and 4-Cl-IAA are involved in the growth and development of pollinated ovaries.     

Effect of 1,2-benzisoxazole-3-acetic acid on adventitious shoot regeneration and in vitro rooting in apple

 The effect of 1,2-benzisoxazole-3-acetic acid (BOA), compared to 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), on adventitious shoot formation in leaf portions and compared to indolebutyric acid (IBA), on in vitro rooting in the apple (Malus domestica Borkh) cultivars McIntosh and Gala, and one rootstock, Jork 9, was investigated. BOA at 43.0 μm or 2.7 μm at NAA in combination with 17.8 μm benzyladenine (BA), induced the highest number of explants to produce adventitious shoots in Jork 9. In Gala, the combination of 21.5 μm BOA with 1.0 μm thidiazuron (TDZ) or with 22.0 μm BA induced the highest regeneration percentages, 58 and 54%, respectively, giving more satisfactory results than NAA (where only 42% of leaf explants exhibited shoot formation). In McIntosh, the highest percentage of regeneration was obtained with 1.3 μm NAA and 22.0 μm BA, while 51% was the highest response obtained with the BOA treatment. The combination of BOA with TDZ completely inhibited regeneration activity in leaf portions of this cultivar. The shoots of all the genotypes obtained with the most morphogenetic NAA or BOA treatments were excised, multiplied and successfully rooted and hardened. The results demonstrate that the synthetic auxin BOA is active in inducing shoot regeneration from leaf explants of apple and that the activity of BOA in plant regeneration is genotype dependent. When BOA was used to induce rooting in apple microcuttings, lower rooting percentages were obtained than with IBA, showing that the effect of BOA in inducing root formation is very low and that it cannot be used routinely to replace IBA in the in vitro rooting of microcuttings. Received: 18 June 1998 / Revision received: 4 January 1999 / Accepted: 29 January 1999     

Uptake and decarboxylation of indole-3-acetic acid during auxin-induced growth in lupin hypocotyl segments

The elongation growth of etiolated hypocotyl segments of lupin (Lupinus albus L.) was stimulated by acid pH (4.6 versus 6.5) and by IAA for periods of up to 4 h. After this time, the segments were unable to grow further. In the presence of an optimal IAA concentration (10 μM), acid pH increased the growth rate but had no effect on final growth. With suboptimal IAA (0.1 μM), however, acid pH increased growth in a more than additive way, suggesting a synergistic action between the two factors. This synergism may be explained by the increased IAA uptake and decarboxylation seen at an acid pH. These results reinforce the view that the effects of low pH and IAA on growth are not independent. Vanadate inhibited growth and also IAA uptake and decarboxylation. This inhibitor, therefore, probably inhibits growth not only by decreasing ATPase-mediated acidification but also by decreasing H⁺-dependent IAA uptake from the apoplasm. This dependence of IAA uptake on ATPase may be mediated by apoplasmic acidification. The amount of IAA decarboxylated increased when the assay conditions favored the growth of segments, indicating that IAA could be destroyed by decarboxylation during the auxin-induced growth.     

Screening and selecting arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for inoculating micropropagated apple rootstocks in acid soils

Santa Catarina state is the largest producer of apples in Brazil. Soils in this region have low pH and high levels of aluminum and manganese, requiring high inputs of fertilizers and amendments increasing costs of apple production. Inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can improve the establishment of micropropagated apple plants in such adverse soil conditions. Soil samples were collected from apple orchards in the Caçador, Fraiburgo and São Joaquim regions to develop a corn bioassay to identify mycorrhizal communities with high infectivity. Eleven fungal species were identified from one Caçador soil with the highest infectivity. Glomus etunicatum SCT110, Scutellospora pellucida SCT111, Acaulospora scrobiculata SCT112 and Scutellospora heterogama SCT113 were brought into single-species culture and used in a plant growth and nutrient uptake experiment using micropropagated apple (Malus prunifolia), cultivated at three soil pH. Colonization by fungal isolates significantly affected plant height, shoot and root dry weights, and root:shoot ratio. Soil pH also significantly affected all growth parameters except shoot dry weight. Mycorrhizal inoculation also significantly altered tissue concentrations of P, Zn, Cu, Ca, S, Na, N, K, Fe and Al. Association with mycorrhizal fungi increased P concentration and also decreased Al concentrations in the shoots. Overall, G. etunicatum and S. pellucida were the most effective isolates to promote plant growth and nutrient uptake. Inoculation of apple rootstock with selected fungal isolates during the acclimatization stage represents a useful strategy for producing micropropagated apples that can withstand acidic soil conditions.     

Endogenous indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid in apple microcuttings in relation to adventitious root formation

The effects of applying indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) for periods up to 48 h were examined in difficult-to-root microcuttings (from newly-established cultures) and in easy-to-root microcuttings (from long-term subcultures) of Jonathan apple (Malus X domestica Borkh). In easy-to-root material, 20% of the microcuttings produced roots in the absence of IBA, while 6 h exposure to 10 M IBA gave 100% rooting of microcuttings. In contrast, root formation in difficult-to-root material was IBA-dependent. Maximum rooting of these microcuttings (50%) required 24 h exposure to 10 M IBA.Variation in the endogenous levels of free indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) during the course of root induction was similar in microcuttings of both types but there were marked differences in endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) levels. In easy-to-root microcuttings ABA remained at a constant low level, but in difficult-to-root material ABA exhibited marked fluctuations and was present at higher concentrations than in easy-to-root microcuttings.     

Indole-3-acetic acid levels after phytochrome-mediated changes in the stem elongation rate of dark- and light-grownPisum seedlings

The effect of red (R) and far-red (FR) light on stem elongation and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels was examined in dwarf and tall Pisum sativum L. seedlings. Red light reduced the extension-growth rate of etiolated seedlings by 70–90% after 3 h, and this inhibition was reversible by FR. Inhibition occurred throughout the growing zone. After 3 h of R, the level of extractable IAA in whole stem sections from the growing zone of etiolated plants either increased or showed no change. By contrast, extractable IAA from epidermal peels consistently decreased 3 h after R treatments. Decreases of 40% were observed for epidermal peels from the top 1 cm of tall plants receiving 3 h R. Brief R treatments resulted in smaller decreases in epidermal IAA levels and these decreases were not as great when FR followed R. In lightgrown plants, end-of-day FR stimulated growth during the following dark period in a photoreversible manner. The uppermost 1 cm of expanding third internodes was most responsive to the FR. Extractable IAA from epidermal peels from the upper 1 cm of third internodes increased by 30% or more 5 h after FR. When R followed the FR the increases were smaller. Levels of IAA in whole stem sections did not change and were twofold greater than in dark-grown plants. In both dark- and light-grown tall plants, IAA levels were lower in epidermal peels than in whole stem segments. These results provide evidence that IAA is compartmentalized at the tissue level within the growing stem and that phytochrome regulation of stem elongation rates may be partly based on modulating the level of IAA within the epidermis.Abbreviations IAA indole-3-acetic acid - R red light - FR farred light We thank Yu-Xian Zhu for helping to develop methods for IAA analysis, James Reid for supplying the genetic lines of Pisum and Richard Cyr for the use of microscopy equipment. This work was supported by NSF grant DCB-8801880 and by Hatch funds from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. The gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer was funded by NSF grant DMB-8505974 and funds from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. A preliminary report of some of these experiments has appeared in Plant Growth Substances, 1991 (Behringer et al. 1992 b).     

Indole-3-butyric acid in plants: occurrence, synthesis, metabolism and transport

Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) was recently identified by GC/MS analysis as an endogenous constituent of various plants. Plant tissues contained 9 ng g^?1 fresh weight of free IBA and 37 ng g^?1 fresh weight of total IBA, compared to 26 ng g^?1 and 52 ng g^?1 fresh weight of free and total indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), respectively. IBA level was found to increase during plant development, but never reached the level of IAA. It is generally assumed that the greater ability of IBA as compared with IAA to promote rooting is due to its relatively higher stability. Indeed, the concentrations of IAA and IBA in autoclaved medium were reduced by 40% and 20%, respectively, compared with filter sterilized controls. In liquid medium, IAA was more sensitive than IBA to non-biological degradation. However, in all plant tissues tested, both auxins were found to be metabolized rapidly and conjugated at the same rate with amino acids or sugar. Studies of auxin transport showed that IAA was transported faster than IBA. The velocities of some of the auxins tested were 7. 5 mm h^?1 for IAA, 6. 7 mm h^?1 for naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and only 3. 2 mm h^?1 for IBA. Like IAA, IBA was transported predominantly in a basipetal direction (polar transport). After application of ³H-IBA to cuttings of various plants, most of the label remained in the bases of the cuttings. Easy-to-root cultivars were found to absorb more of the auxin and transport more of it to the leaves. It has been postulated that easy-to-root, as opposed to the difficult-to-root cultivars, have the ability to hydrolyze auxin conjugates at the appropriate time to release free auxin which may promote root initiation. This theory is supported by reports on increased levels of free auxin in the bases of cuttings prior to rooting. The auxin conjugate probably acts as a ‘slow-release’ hormone in the tissues. Easy-to-root cultivars were also able to convert IBA to IAA which accumulated in the cutting bases prior to rooting. IAA conjugates, but not IBA conjugates, were subject to oxidation, and thus deactivation. The efficiency of the two auxins in root induction therefore seems to depend on the stability of their conjugates. The higher rooting promotion of IBA was also ascribed to the fact that its level remained elevated longer than that of IAA, even though IBA was metabolized in the tissue. IAA was converted to IBA by seedlings of corn and Arabidopsis. The K_m value for IBA formation was low (approximately 20 μM), indicating high affinity for the substrate. That means that small amounts of IAA (only a fraction of the total IAA in the plant tissues) can be converted to IBA. It was suggested that IBA is formed by the acetylation of IAA with acetyl-CoA in the carboxyl position via a biosynthetic pathway analogous to the primary steps of fatty acid biosynthesis, where acetyl moieties are transferred to an acceptor molecule. Incubation of the soluble enzyme fraction from Arabidopsis with ³H-IBA, IBA and UDP-glucose resulted in a product that was identified tentatively as IBA glucose (IBGIc). IBGIc was detected only during the first 30 min of incubation, showing that it might be converted rapidly to another conjugate.     

Distribution of indole-3-acetic acid in relation to the growth of etiolated Lupinus albus hypocotyls

The free indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in methanolic extracts of etiolated hypocotyls of lupin ( Lupinus albus L., from Bari, Italy) was determined by fluorimetry. The distribution of IAA along the hypocotyls was parallel to the growth, but when growth ceased oscillations occurred in the auxin level. These oscillations could be related to processes of differentiation mediated by IAA. The oscillations did not obey any impulses from the apex, since the application of [1-¹⁴C]-IAA to decapitated plants gives a distribution of radioactivity which also presents an undulatory pattern. Our results support the hypothesis that morphogenesis can be regulated by information transmitted by the translocation of waves of auxin.     

Biosynthesis,conjugation, catabolism and homeostasis of indole-3-acetic acid in Arabidopsis thaliana

Plant Molecular Biology -