Structural Changes During Vitrification of Carnation Plantlets

The structure of plantlets of Dianthus caryophyllus cv. CeriseRoyalette was studied at various developmental stages. In vitrifiedplantlets there were the following main differences from normalstructure: (a) reduction in the period in which cells remainmeristematic in developing parts of the shoot, up to full maturationof the shoot apex itself; (b) hypertrophy of the cells, witha loss of a clear axis of elongation; (c) defective cell wallsin which disintegration occurs at certain regions to form cavities. Dianthus caryophyllus, vitrified plantlets, shoot apex, stomata     

Cytokinin as an Inducer of Vitrification in Melon

Development of vitrification has been followed in melon shoottips cultured on solid and liquid media which contained growthfactors in various concentrations. Cytokinin was found to bethe primary inducer, without which vitrification did not occurin spite of the presence in the culture of other accepted inducers.Spontaneous vitrification appeared on non-inductive media butin a low percentage. Vitrification differed in appearance andfrequency, depending on the kind of medium. On solid mediumvitrification gradually increased with time, whereas on liquidmedium it was an ‘all-or-nothing’ effect. On solidmedium, all the vitrified plantlets turned into callus aftertwo or three subcultures. It is suggested that vitrificationis the bud's reaction to an excess of cytokinin. Cucumis melo, growth factors, abnormal plant growth, vitrification     

细胞分裂素在果实及种子发育中的作用

就最近几年来细胞分裂素与果实及种子发育的研究进展作简要介绍。     

The Effect of Cytokinins and Auxins on Anthocyanin Accumulation in Green Manzanillo Olives

A comparison was made of the composition and some metabolicchanges in Manzanillo olives at different stages of maturation.The effects of cytokinins and auxins on maturation and anthocyaninaccumulation in green-picked fruit were determined. Kinetin,benzyl adenine, and zeatin at concentrations not exceeding 50parts/10⁶ caused a marked enhancement in anthocyanin accumulationwithout affecting fruit maturation. NAA and 2,4,5-TP at concentrationsup to 200 and 300 parts/10⁶ respectively, also caused anthocyaninaccumulation but apparently as part of a general ripening induction.     

The Effect of Potassium on Cotyledon Expansion Induced by Cytokinins

Potassium has been found to enhance greatly the expansion response of cucumber cotyledons to cytokinins. A reduction of the response to kinetin is obtained with increasing age of the cotyledons. The lesser response is associated with lower levels of potassium remaining in the cotyledon. A high level of KCI in the incubation medium offsets the lower potassium content of the tissue and enables a much larger response to the cytokinins. At 40 mM KCI the response to kinetin is 4.2 times greater than in the absence of KCI. Calcium increases the effect of potassium on the response to kinetin. When incubated in 40 mM KCI and 10 mM CaCI₂ with 10 mg/I 6-benzylamino-purine, the final weight of the cotyledons is 6.8 times the initial weight after just 4 days. This KCI-CaCI₂ combination is also found to promote chlorophyll synthesis in the usual cucumber cotyledon bioassay.     

The Effect of Photoperiod on Levels of Endogenous Cytokinins in Xanthium strumarium

The cytokinin content of Xanthium strumarium L. plants decreased markedly when they were exposed to short days (SD). There was a significant decrease in the content of the butanol-soluble cytokinins of the mature leaves after only 5 SD cycles, and after 10 SD there was no significant cytokinin activity in butanol extracts; the changes in the young leaves were less marked. Most of the cytokinin activity in mature leaves appears to be present in the aqueous fraction, whereas in young leaves most activity occurs in the butanol-soluble fraction. SD treated plants produced less root exudate than LD plants, but there were no significant differences in the amounts of cytokinin in the root exudates from LD and SD plants collected over an equivalent time period. The cytokinin levels of SD-induced leaves remained low even when transferred back to LD. The observed differences in cytokinin levels did not appear to be the result of photosynthetic differences. Exposure of detached leaves to LD or SD did not result in differences in cytokinin content. It is not clear whether the observed changes in cytokinin levels in the leaves under SD are involved in the flowering response, but they may be causally related to a reduced chlorophyll content observed in SD-induced leaves.     

植物体内的芳环细胞分裂素

芳环细胞分裂素包括6—苄基氨基嘌呤(BA),6—(3—羟苄基氨基)—嘌呤(mT),6—(2—羟苄基氨基)—嘌吟(oT)和它们的衍生物。它的代谢具有相互转换、羟基化作用、结合作用和氧化降解四个特征。本文从信号的感受,转导和应答阐明细胞分裂素在细胞和分子水平上的功能。     

The Effect of Temperature Gradients on Stress Development During Cryopreservation via Vitrification

This study addresses the problem of thermal stress development in bulky specimens during cryopreservation via vitrification (vitreous means glassy in Latin). While this study is a part of an ongoing effort to associate the developing mechanical stress with the relevant physical properties of the cryopreserved media and to its the thermal history, the current paper focuses exclusively on the role of temperature gradients. Temperature gradients arise due to the high cooling rates necessary to facilitate vitrification; the resulting non-uniform temperature distribution leads to differential thermal strain, possibly resulting in cracking. The cooling rate is assumed constant on the outer surface in this study, and the material properties are assumed constant. It is demonstrated that under these assumptions, mechanical stress develops only when the temperature distribution in the specimen approaches thermal equilibrium at a cryogenic storage temperature. It is shown that the maximum possible stresses for a given cooling rate can be computed with a simple thermo-elastic analysis; these stresses are associated with cooling to sufficiently low temperatures and are independent of the variation of viscosity with temperature. Analytic estimates for these stresses are obtained for several idealized shapes, while finite element analysis is used to determine stresses for geometries used in cryopreservation practice. Stresses that develop under a wider range of storage temperatures are also studied with finite element analysis, and the results are summarized with suitable normalizations. It is found that no stresses arise if cooling ceases above the set-temperature, which defines the transition from viscous-dominated to elastic-dominated behavior; the set-temperature is determined principally by the dependency of viscosity upon temperature. Strategies for rapidly reaching low temperatures and avoiding high stresses are inferred from the results.     

The Role of Cytokinins and Ethylene in Bean Cotyledon Senescence. The Effect of Free Radicals

During ageing of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cotyledons in plants with modified life span the time-course of four cytokinins, ethylene, and the end products of free radical attack, lipofuscin-like pigments (LFP), were studied. UV irradiation shortened cotyledon life span, while epicotyl decapitation prolonged it. In controls, LFP increased at the senescence onset but at the end of life span it returned to the initial level. Ethylene increased more than 3-fold at the time of abscission. The content of individual cytokinins (zeatin, zeatin riboside, isopentenyl adenine, isopentenyl adenine riboside) varied differently during ageing but they did not decreased in any case under level observed in young cotyledons at the time of abscission. UV irradiation resulted in 14-fold increase in LFP concentration at the end. Ethylene increased 8-fold 2 h after irradiation. Individual cytokinins increased after UV irradiation to a different extent and time-course, nevertheless cotyledon life span was shortened. Decapitation induced LFP decrease. On day 13, LFP abruptly increased and than decreased and stayed lowered until abscission. Ethylene was maximum on day 24, at the time of abscission, it was above 200 % of control. Decapitation produced transient decrease in some cytokinins namely zeatin and isopentenyl adenine riboside.     

The Distribution of Cytokinins in Tuberizing Potatoes

Potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.) stored at low temperaturein the dark for a prolonged period of time develop a disorderknown as ‘little potato’. This phenomenon involvesthe formation of stolons and new tubers, the reserves for thelatter being obtained from the parent tubers. A study of thedistribution of endogenous cytokinins in the various regionsof the system showed it to be very complex. Zeatin ribosideappeared to be the major cytokinin throughout the whole system.It was present in the highest levels at the stolon tips andin the smallest little potatoes. The internodal sprout tissue,which can be regarded as a link between the parent tubers andthe bulking little potatoes, contained the highest total levelof cytokinin. The total activity was greater due to the presenceof higher levels of compounds which co-eluted with zeatin andzeatin glucoside. It is possible that the cytokinin glucosideis either a translocatoly or storage form in the present system.The decreased levels of the glucoside at the stolon tips andin the bulking little potatoes could well be the result of hydrolysisor perhaps its active participation in the tuberizing process.     

Effect of Cytokinins and Cytokinin Antagonists on in vitro Cultured Gypsophila paniculata L.

This study deals with the effects of two cytokinins [kinetin (Kin) and N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N-phenylurea (CPPU)] and cytokinin antagonists [2-chloro-4-cyclobutyl-amino-6-ethylamino-1,3,5-triazine (ACK1) and N-(4-pyridyl)-O-(4-chlorophenyl)carbamate (ACK2)] in concentration of 1 μM on in vitro cultured Gypsophila. The application of Kin and CPPU stimulated bud opening and increased fresh and dry masses. Cytokinin antagonists reduced the number of sprouted buds and bud fresh and dry masses. In plants treated with CPPU the chloroplasts possessed well developed membrane system, which covered almost the entire chloroplasts volume. In ACK2 treated plants, the plastid apparatus in each cell was represented by two types of chloroplast in which the inner membrane system was differently organized. Cell wall adjacent chloroplasts possessed structure similar to the controls. In inner located chloroplasts part of thylakoids were semi-concentrically arranged and partially destructed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Inhibitory Effect of Coronamic Acid Derivatives on Senescence in Cut Carnation Flowers

(+)-(1R,2S)-Allocoronamic acid, (?)-(1S,2R)-allocoronamic acid, and their racemate showed an inhibitory effect on senesence in cut carnation flowers. This antisenescent activity was based on the inhibition of endogenous ethylene formation catalyzed by an ethylene-forming enzyme.     

The Roles of Auxins and Cytokinins in Mycorrhizal Symbioses

Abstract Most land plant species that have been examined exist naturally with a higher fungus living in and around their roots in a symbiotic partnership called a mycorrhiza. Several types of mycorrhizal symbiosis exist, defined by the host/partner combination and the morphology of the symbiotic structures. The arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) is ancient and may have co-evolved with land plants. Emerging results from gene expression studies have suggested that subsets of AM genes were co-opted during the evolution of other biotrophic symbioses. Here we compare the roles of phytohormones in AM symbiosis and ectomycorrhizas (EC), a more recent symbiosis. To date, there is little evidence of physiologic overlap between the two symbioses with respect to phytohormone involvement. Research on AM has shown that cytokinin (CK) accumulation is specifically enhanced by symbiosis throughout the plant. We propose a pathway of events linking enhanced CK to development of the AM. Additional and proposed involvement of other phytohormones are also described. The role of auxin in EC symbiosis and recent research advances on the topic are reviewed. We have reflected the literature bias in reporting individual growth regulator effects. However, we consider that gradients and ratios of these molecules are more likely to be the causal agents of morphologic changes resulting from fungal associations. We expect that once the individual roles of these compounds are explained, the subtleties of their function will be more clearly addressed.     

Investigations on Cytokinins. II. Interaction of Light and Cytokinins as Studied in Lemna minor

In Lemna minor under non optimal growth conditions, due to light shortage, a cytokinin is able to supplement this shortage partly. The cytokinin seems to substitute the effect of non-photosynthetic light.     

Studies on Cytokinins in Watermelon Seeds

Extracts of immature seeds of watermelon contain three cytokinins which are adsorbed on Dowex 50W ion exchange resin. The Rf of the fastest moving factor is similar to that of zeatin. The slowest moving factor is insoluble in n-butanol and shows some resemblance to zeatin ribotide. The chromatographic properties of the second factor are, however, different from those of any of the known cytokinins and is believed to be new to literature.     

The Biosynthesis of Cytokinins in Germinating Lupin Seeds

Imbibed intact seeds, and excised embryos and cotyledons ofyellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L. cv. Weiko III) have been incubatedwith [¹⁴C]-adenine to investigate cytokinin biosynthesis duringthe early stages of germination. Following incubation the tissueswere extracted and purified by solvent partition and chromatographyon cellulose phosphate, diethylaminoethyl cellulose and SephadexLH-20 columns. Using a variety of thin layer chromatographic,high performance liquid chromato-graphic and chemical procedures,incorporation of ¹⁴C into dihydrozeatin riboside and its nucleotidewas demonstrated in extracts of intact embryos, intact cotyledonsand excised embryos. However, radioactivity was not found associatedwith cytokinins in fractions derived from the isolated cotyledons.This is the first direct demonstration of cytokinin biosynthesisin germinating seeds and the results indicate that the capacityfor cytokinin biosynthesis is probably confined to the embryonicaxes. If this is so, the levels of [¹⁴CJ-dihydrozeatin ribosideassociated with intact embryo and intact cotyledon fractionsindicate that the synthesized cytokinin is transported to andaccumulates in the cotyledons. Key words: Lupinus luteus, cytokinin biosynthesis, seed germination