Time-course of Nitrate Uptake and Nitrate Reductase Activity in Nitrogen-depleted Dwarf Bean

The rate of nitrate uptake by N-depleted French dwarf bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Witte Krombek) increased steadily during the first 6 h after addition of NO₃ -After this initial phase the rale remained constant for many hours. Detached root systems showed the same time-course of uptake as roots of intact plants. In vivo nitrate reductase activity (NRA) was assayed with or without exogenous NO₃^- in the incubation medium and the result ing activities were denoted potential and actual level, respectively. In roots the difference between actual and potential NRA disappeared within 15 min after addition of nitrate, and NRA increased for about 15 h. Both potential and actual NRA were initially very low. In leaves, however, potential NRA was initially very high and was not affected by ambient nitrate (0.1–5 mol m^-3) for about 10 h. Actual and potential leaf NRA became equal after the same period of time. In the course of nitrate nutrition, the two nitrate reductase activities in leaves were differentially inhibited by cycloheximide (3.6 mmol m^-3) and tungstate (1 mol m^-3). We suggest that initial potential NRA reflects the activity of pre-existing enzyme, whereas actual NRA depends on enzyme assembly during NO₃^- supply. Apparent induction of nitrate uptake and most (85%) of the actual in vivo NRA occurred in the root system during the first 6 h of nitrate utilization by dwarf bean.     

Ionic Balance of Root-Shoot Nitrate Transfer in Dwarf Bean

The Dijkshoorn-Ben Zioni model about potassium recycling in higher plants proposes a stoichiometric coupling between the upward transport of nitrate and potassium, and therefore a 1:1 ratio of these ions in the xylem sap. Phaseolus vulgaris grown in media with different NO₃: K⁺ ratios, however, only rarely showed equimolar concentrations of the two ions in the bleeding sap. Ratios between 0.2 and 11 were observed and the ratios between concentrations of the ions in the exudate and in the external solution were positively correlated. An analysis of the major inorganic constituents of the exudate revealed an ionic balance that requires negligible amounts of charges from organic molecules.     

The Response of Nitrate Reductase Activity and Nitrate Assimilation in Maize Roots to Growth Regulators at Acidic pH

Nitrate and total nitrogen contents, and nitrate reductase (NR) activity of the excised maize roots in buffered or unbuffered nitrate solution (at pH 6.5 or 4.5) as affected by putrescine (PUT), abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA) were investigated. In unbufferred solution, the NR activity was lower at pH 4.5 as compared to that at pH 6.5, but in bufferred solution the activity was higher at lower pH. Supply of 100 µM PUT or 500 µM SA, promoted NR activity and 50 µM ABA inhibited the activity at pH 6.5. However, at pH 4.5, PUT and SA inhibited NR activity and ABA had no effect. In most cases, the increase in NR activity was positively correlated with total organic nitrogen and a negatively with nitrate content. A reverse situation was found when NR activity was inhibited by the growth regulators.     

Studies on Plant Growth Regulators

The electronic structure of atropic acid and its β-alkyl and β,β-dimethyl derivatives is calculated by a molecular orbital method. Their plant growth activity is shown to be explained only by considering an electronic factor of the molecule derived by the calculation.     

Studies on Plant Growth Regulators

The auxin activities of the homologs of racemic and enantiomeric α-alkylphenylacetic acids were estimated by pea straight growth test. The α-methyl, -ethyl and -propyl acids were moderately active whereas the longer and branched alkyl chain were found to make the molecule inactive. The more active enantiomers were shown to have the same configuration as the more active enantiomers in the other series of the optical active synthetic auxins.

The auxin activities of the cyclic homologs of 1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydro- and 3, 4-dihydro-1- naphthoic acids were determined by pea straight growth test. In the tetrahydro-acid series, it was observed that the alicyclic ring expansion from the 6-membered to the 7-membered made the molecule inactive. In the 3, 4-dihydro-acid series, on the other hand, the activity remained almost unchanged by such a structural change. Structure-activity relationships were discussed in terms of their molecular structures, in particular, the configuration of the carboxyl group.     

Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Phytoremediation of Hexachlorocyclohexane-Contaminated Soil

The influence of three plant growth regulators, indolebutyric acid (IBA), thidiazuron (TDZ) and gibberellic acid (GA₃), either individually or in pair-wise combinations, on the ability of waxy corn plant to remove hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) from contaminated soil was studied. Waxy corn seeds were immersed for 3 h in solutions of 1.0 mg/l IBA, 0.01 mg/l TDZ, 0.1 mg/l GA₃, or a mixture of two of the growth regulators, and then inoculated in soil contaminated with 46.8 mg/kg HCH for 30 days. Pretreatment of corn seeds with the plant growth regulators did not enhance corn growth when compared with those immersed in distilled water (control), but the pretreatment enhanced HCH removal significantly. On day 30, HCH concentration in the bulk soil planted with corn seeds pretreated with GA₃ or TDZ+GA₃ decreased by 97.4% and 98.4%, respectively. In comparison, HCH removal in soil planted with non-pretreated control waxy corn seeds was only 35.7%. The effect of several growth regulator application methods was tested with 0.01 mg/l TDZ. The results showed that none of the methods, which ranged from seed immersion, watering in soil, or spraying on shoots, affected HCH removal from soil. However, the method of applying the growth regulators may affect corn growth. Watering the corn plant with TDZ in soil led to higher root fresh weight (2.2 g) and higher root dried weight (0.57 g) than the other treatments (0.2–1.7 g root fresh weight and 0.02–0.43 g root dried weight) on day 30. Varying the concentrations of GA₃ did not affect the enhancement of corn growth and HCH removal on day 30. The results showed that plant growth regulators may have potential for use to enhance HCH phytoremediation.     

Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Flower-Opening of Pharbitis nil

Flower buds of Pharbitis nil (due to open the next morning)cut from plants in the field before noon open very slowly bothin darkness and at a low temperature (20°C), unlike thebuds cut in the evening. On cool cloudy days, even the budscut in the evening open very slowly. Addition of sucrose, mineralnutrients or plant growth regulators other than ABA to the waterin which the cut buds were placed did not promote flower-openingunder such conditions, but addition of ABA (10–100 µM)greatly promoted it. IAA (100 µM) given alone or in combinationwith ABA suppressed floweropening completely. Mature flowerbuds placed in an ABA solution opened even under continuouslight at 25°C just as those kept in darkness without ABA;flower-opening occurred about 12 h after the application ofABA. ABA given to the buds in darkness at 25°C and thatgiven in continuous light at 20°C also advanced the timeof flower-opening. The action mechanism of ABA is discussed. ¹ This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Joji Ashida,the first president of the Japanese Society of Plant Physiologist. (Received October 28, 1982; Accepted January 7, 1983)     

植物生长调节剂对油菜下胚轴生长及脱分化的影响（简报）

BAP和ZT可以防止油菜下胚轴的徒长.欲从萌发油菜种子得到无菌苗时可以加入0.5mg@L-1的BAP,如要用下胚轴诱导愈伤组织则宜采用1mg@L-1以上的BAP.发芽培养基中植物生长调节剂组成对下胚轴切段的脱分化能力无明显影响,但用含NAA的发芽培养基得到下胚轴切段的愈伤组织产生的根毛较多.愈伤组织诱导培养基中植物生长调节剂对下胚轴切段脱分化,以0.5mg@L-1BAP+1mg@L-1NAA+0.25mg@L-12,4-D诱导愈伤组织的作用最好,诱导率达100%,愈伤组织块大,且无根毛产生.     

Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Somatic Embryogenesis of Peucedanum terebinthaccum

The influence of different plant growth regulators including 2,4-D,ZT, 6-BA and ABA on somatic embryogenesis and the amount of endogenous ABA at different stages of embryogenesis was investigated. The effect of each plant growth regulator changed according to the stage of embryogenesis. The amount of endogenous ABA was rather high in single cell stage, decreased at cell clump and embryogenic cell clump stages and dramatically increased at globular embryo stage. It decreased again as the embryo developed. This change in amount of the endogenous ABA explained very well the difference in the effect of exogenous ABA when applied at different stages of embryogenesis.     

Nicotine Production by Tobacco Callus Tissues and Effect of Plant Growth Regulators

Relationships between callus origin and the nicotine contents as well as conditions of nicotine production in tobacco tissue cultures were investigated. Nicotine contents of callus tissues were remarkably affected by plant growth regulators in the culture medium. Thus, nicotine production was promoted by the regulators at lower concentrations, but gradually inhibited when the concentrations increased over an optimal region which was different among several kinds of the regulators. The nicotine contents also considerably depended on conditions of the callus induction as well as organ from which they were derived, at least just after callus induction. The differences due to the induction conditions were considered to be gradually lost during successive cultures. Thus, the nicotine contents appeared gradually to change to a certain level which mainly depended on the concentration of the regulators added to the culture medium. When such stabilized callus tissues were transferred to a culture medium containing another regulator or different concentration of the regulator, their nicotine contents rapidly changed to a new level depending on the culture conditions during a few successive cultures. The stabilized callus tissues grown on a medium containing 0.1 ppm α-NAA contained 0.5% of nicotine or more, which was almost the same level in root of the intact plant.     

Phospholipids as Plant Growth Regulators

In this paper the potential to use phospholipids and lysophospholipids as plant growth regulators is discussed. Recent evidence shows that phospholipids and phospholipases play an important signalling role in the normal course of plant development and in the response of plants to abiotic and biotic stress. It is apparent that phospholipase A (PLA), C (PLC) and D (PLD), lysophospholipids, and phosphatidic acid (PA) are key components of plant lipid signalling pathways. By comparison, there is very little information available on the effect of exogenously applied phospholipids on plant growth and development. This paper serves to introduce phospholipids as a novel class of plant growth regulator for use in commercial plant production. The biochemistry and physiology of phospholipids is discussed in relation to studies in which phospholipids and lysophospholipids have been applied to plants and plant parts. Implicit in the observations is that phospholipids impact the hypersensitive response and systemic acquired resistance in plants to improve crop performance and product quality. Based on published data, a scheme outlining a possible mode of action of exogenously applied phospholipids is proposed.     

Studies on Herbicides and Plant Growth Regulators

With the aim of obtaining plant growth regulators, we have synthesized 1-aryloxyacylbenzimidazoles, 1-aryloxyacylindazoles, 2-aryloxyacyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindazoles and 1-aryloxyacylbenzotriazoles by the acylation of azoles, and 1-aryloxyacyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindazoles by the reaction of aryloxyacylhydrazines with 2-(hydroxymethylene)cyclohexanone. The structures of these compounds are discussed on the basis of nuclear magnetic resonance data.     

Production of Plant Growth Regulators by Rhizosphere Phosphate-solubilizing Bacteria

Culture supernatant fluids of 50 phosphate-dissolving bacteria isolated from rhizospheres of crop plants were examined for IAA, gibberellins and cytokinins. These bacteria possessed phytase activity and 27 could dissolve rock phosphate. Twenty bacteria synthesized all 3 types of plant hormones, 43 produced IAA, 29 formed gibberellins and 45 cultures produced cytokinin-like substances. Of the 50 bacteria tested 28 decomposed IAA. Plant growth inhibitors were detected in cultures of some isolates. The ecological significance of these rhizosphere bacteria and their mode of action when used as inoculants is considered.     

Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Calcium-stimulated Serine Transport into Tobacco Cells

The transport of serine into tobacco cells (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cultured in liquid medium was examined. Transport was inhibited approximately 50% by 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, indoleacetic acid, α-naphthalene acetic acid, and kinetin at a concentration of 10 micrograms per milliliter. Transport was not inhibited by 2,6-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and inhibited less than 25% by p-chlorophenoxyacetic acid at this concentration. Removal of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid from the transport medium resulted in an alleviation of inhibition. Gibberellic acid at concentrations from 2 to 20 micrograms per milliliter stimulated transport.

It was previously shown that inhibition of transport by La³⁺ was due to removal of Ca²⁺ from surface sites and inhibition of Ca²⁺ uptake by cells. None of the growth regulators tested had any significant effect on Ca²⁺ binding and/or transport.

A contributing factor to the low transport rates in the absence of Ca²⁺ is the increased rate of serine efflux. None of the growth regulators tested had any significant effect on the rate of serine efflux.

     

Growth Regulators and the Effect of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus on Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Estimation of cell number in the third leaf of barley (Hordeumvulgare L. C I 666) infected with barley yellow dwarf virus(BYDV) showed a marked decrease in the mitotic activity of theinfected plants Assay of endogenous gibberellins revealed adecrease in the level of a substance corresponding to gibberellicacid (GA₃) in BYDV-infected plants No significant differencein the level of endogenous auxins was observed Application ofgibberellic acid to infected plants reversed the dwarfing effectbut the response was not significantly different from the responseof healthy plants and was found to be due to increased cellelongation. It is suggested that the dwarfing of BYDV-infectedplants is a result of reduced mitotic activity This may be relatedto the reduced level of endogenous gibberellins.