Comparison of the effects of epibrassinolide and steroidal estrogens on adventitious root growth and early shoot development in mung bean cuttings

Concentrations of 24-epibrassinolide as low as 0.1 μ M consistently inhibited adventitious root formation and elongation in both hypocotyl and epicotyl cuttings from mung bean ( Phaseolus aureus L.). Similar, but less pronounced, inhibitory effects on root elongation were also observed with estrone sulphate and estradiol sulphate. With regards to root number, estrone sulphate enhanced this in both types of cutting, whereas estradiol sulphate was stimulatory in hypocotyl cuttings but inhibitory in epicotyl cuttings. Brassinolide caused a marked stimulation of epicotyl (but not hypocotyl) elongation and a swelling and splitting of the epicotyl in both types of cutting, whereas estrogens varied in their effect from inhibition of epicotyl growth to no effect. Root-applied brassinolide and estrogen sulphates brought about similar morphological abnormalities in shoots viz. epinasty and inrolling of primary leaves and delayed expansion of the first trifoliate leaf.     

Developmental effects of 24-epibrassinolide in excised roots of tomato grown in vitro

The effects of 1 p M –10 μ M 24-epibrassinolide presented to apical and basal regions of excised roots of tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Best of All) grown aseptically in a two-well culture vessel have been investigated. Only inhibitory effects were observed and only at 0. 1 μ M or greater. At 10 μ M basally- and apically-applied epibrassinolide inhibited growth in apical regions, but not in basal regions. Lower concentrations (1 and 0. 1 μ M ) also inhibited growth, again only in apical regions and usually only when presented directly to those regions. Cultured tomato roots therefore appear to transport epibrassinolide acropetally, but whether they do so basipetally is not yet clear. The reduced responsiveness to epibrassinolide observed in roots grown by this method is thought to be due to the larger inoculum used rather than the physiological age of the roots. There was some evidence that the sensitivity of cultured roots to epibrassinolide is directly related to growth rate     

Adventitious root initiation in hypocotyl and epicotyl cuttings of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) seedlings

The present paper reports results of experiments to develop a system for studying adventitious root initiation in cuttings derived from seedlings. Hypocotyl cuttings of 2-week-old eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) seedlings were treated for 5 min with 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 or 600 mg l^?1 (0, 0.54, 1.07, 1.61, 2.15, 2.69 or 3.22 mM) 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) to determine the effect on root initiation. The number of root primordia per cutting was correlated with NAA concentration and the square of NAA concentration. Thus, the number increased from less than one per cutting in the 0 NAA treatment to approximately 40 per cutting at 300 mg l-1 NAA, above which no substantial further increase was observed. The larger number of root primordia formed in response to increasing concentrations of NAA was due to the formation of primordia over a larger proportion of the hypocotyls. Histological analysis of the timing of root primordium formation in hypocotyl cuttings revealed three discernible stages. Progression through these stages was relatively synchronous among NAA-treated hypocotyl cuttings and within a given cutting, but variation was observed in the portion of different cuttings undergoing root formation. Control-treated hypocotyl cuttings formed root primordia at lower frequencies and more slowly than NAA-treated cuttings, with fewer primordia per cutting. Epicotyl cuttings from 11-week-old seedlings also formed adventitious roots, but more slowly than hypocotyl cuttings. NAA treatment of epicotyl cuttings caused more rapid root initiation and also affected the origin of adventitious roots in comparison with nontreated cuttings. NAA-treated epicotyl cuttings formed roots in a manner analogous to that of the hypocotyl cuttings, directly from preformed vascular tissue, while control-treated epicotyl cuttings first formed a wound or callus tissue and subsequently differentiated root primordia within that tissue. This system of inducing adventitious roots in pine stem cuttings lends itself to studying the molecular and biochemical steps that occur during root initiation and development.     

Cuttings of a tobacco mutant, rae, undergo cell divisions but do not initiate adventitious roots in response to exogenous auxin

Numerous studies have shown that auxin induces adventitious root initiation in stem explants from a variety of species, including tobacco. A dominant, monogenic mutation previously identified in tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthii), rac , confers tenfold auxin resistance to mesophyll-derived cell suspensions and an impaired primary root development phenotype to seedlings. Results presented here demonstrate that adventitious root formation does not occur when heterozygous and homozygous rac stem cuttings are treated in vitro with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) concentrations ranging from 0.5 μ M to 500 μ M . Histological analysis showed that some phloem parenchyma or inner cortical parenchyma cells in wild-type stem cuttings undergo adventitious root morphogenesis when they are treated with 5 μ M IBA. The same cell types in heterozygous and homozygous rac stem cuttings undergo mitoses in response to auxin, but never form adventitious root meristems. The lack of adventitious root initiation in rac stem cuttings is phenotypically distinct from the aberrant primary root development in rac seedlings. The rac mutation appears to block an essential process for auxin induction of adventitious root initiation but not cell division in phloem parenchyma or inner cortical parenchyma cells. Comparisons of rac heterozygous and homozygous seedling primary root length and callus formation in response to auxin in stem cuttings indicate that rac copy number is correlated to the degree of expression of these two phenotypes.     

Microcutting leaf area,weight and position on the stock shoot influence root vigour,shoot growth and incidence of shoot tip necrosis in grape plantlets in vitro

The physiological parameters of microcuttings, namely leaf area, weight (wt) and position on the stock shoot, had significant effects on root vigour, microshoot growth and incidence of shoot tip necrosis (STN) in cultures of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) ‘Arka Neelamani’. Single-node leafy cuttings cultured in MS medium containing 1 μM IAA and 0.1 μM GA₃ generally rooted first and subsequently sprouted into a single shoot. Small leafed cuttings exhibited slow root emergence, poor quality roots, early sprouting and weak shoot growth. Large leafed cuttings on the other hand, showed early rooting, vigorous roots, delayed sprouting and healthier shoots. Significant correlations were observed between fresh root wt per plantlet at 1 month in culture and wt of lamina, total wt and leaf area of the cuttings in that order. A significant correlation also existed between wt of roots and height or wt of the sprout that developed. The study suggests that the weight or area of the leaf governed the root growth in a microcutting. STN was observed in some plantlets particularly those derived from large leafed cuttings. Such cuttings showed vigorous roots and delayed but fast sprout growth that ended in STN. Plantlets showing STN had less Ca⁺⁺ and Mg⁺⁺ in the shoot tissue than in the shoots of normal plantlets while the roots showed similar Ca⁺⁺ or higher Mg⁺⁺ contents. Both had comparable amounts of cytokinins in shoot and root tissues. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Micronutrient Boron Causes the Development of Adventitious Roots in Sunflower Cuttings

Three-day-old light-grown sunflower seedlings were de-rootedand incubated in nutrient solutions that either contained orlacked boric acid (B). In the absence of B, in the majorityof the seedlings, no adventitious roots were formed. The micronutrientB caused the development of numerous roots in the lower partof the hypocotyl. The effect of B occurred without the supplyof any phytohormones. A dose-response curve of B-induced rootingyielded an optimum concentration of 0.1 mM boric acid. Histologicalstudies revealed that cell divisions occurred in the controlbut no root primordia developed. In cuttings that were incubatedin B (0.1 m M) root primordia were observed that rapidly developedinto well-differentiated adventitious roots. Sunflower cuttingsthat were planted with their cut end in vermiculite that wasmoistened with nutrient solutions without B degenerated afterseveral weeks. In the presence of B the cuttings formed numerousadventitious roots that entirely replaced the tap root systemof intact seedlings. The rooted cuttings developed into sturdyadult sunflower plants. Our results are discussed with respectto the possible role of B in the evolution of vascular fromprevascular plants.Copyright 1999 Annals of Botany Company Adventitious roots, boron, cuttings, organogenesis, sunflower seedlings.     

The effects of diclofop-methyl on root growth of wild oat

Diclofop-methyl severely reduced the growth of seminal roots of wild oat ( Avena fatua L.) when applied in hydroponics at 0.01 and 0.05 μ M . Lateral roots emerged closer to the seminal root apex than in the controls, but coronal root number and length were unaffected at 0.01 μ M . However, doses of 0.05 to 0.1 μ M induced more but shorter coronal roots to emerge than for controls. At 1 μ M the number and length of coronal roots were less than for controls. Root-applied diclofop-methyl at 1 μ M inhibited emerging second leaf growth to the same extent as a foliar dip in 1 μ M diclofop-methyl without causing chlorosis as foliar treatment does. Because of limited basipetal transport of foliarly-applied diclofop-methyl, shoot treatment was ineffective in inducing abnormal root morphogenesis of the seminal and lateral root systems, although it caused abnormalities of the coronal root system. Time course studies were initiated to examine the effect of root-applied diclofop-methyl at 0.05 μ M . Seminal root growth was inhibited (by diclofop-methyl) soon after treatment, while controls continued elongating. The distance between the seminal root apex and the first lateral primordia increased in the controls within one day after treatment, but decreased in the herbicide-treated roots. The distance between the seminal root apex and the first emerged lateral root was reduced by three days after treatment. The number of lateral primordia and emerged roots was unaffected three days after treatment. These dose-response and kinetic results suggested that diclofop-methyl caused a loss of apical dominance in the seminal root.     

Effects of IAA and four IAA conjugates on morphogenesis and callus growth from tomato leaf discs

The effects of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and four IAA conjugates, indoleacetylalanine (IAAla), indoleacetylaspartic acid (IAAsp), indoleacetylglycine (IAGly), and indoleacetylphenylalanine (IAPhe), on growth and morphogenesis in tomato leaf discs in vitro were examined. Free IAA stimulated root initiation in the absence of cytokinin and stimulated callus growth in the presence of 0.89 M benzylaminopurine (BAP). Free IAA also inhibited shoot initiation obtained with 8.9 M BAP. The activities of the IAA conjugates depended on the conjugating amino acid, the concentration of the conjugate, and the response being measured. IAAsp had little or no activity in promoting root initiation or callus growth or in inhibiting shoots, while IAPhe was similarly inactive except at the highest concentration tested (100 M). IAAla and IAGly were both very active in inhibiting shoots and promoting callus growth, but were much less active in stimulating rooting, except at 100 M, at which concentration they were as effective as free IAA. Thin-layer chromatography of the IAA conjugates revealed that IAAla, IAGly and IAPhe were largely stable to autoclaving, but that IAAsp underwent some hydrolysis to products identical with free IAA and aspartic acid. Pretreatment of seedlings with IAA, IAAla or IAGly altered the subsequent shoot initiation response from leaf discs on media with and without IAA.     

Ethylene as a possible mediator of light-induced inhibition of root growth

Eliasson, L. and Bollmark, M. 1988. Ethylene as a possible mediator of light-induced inhibition of root growth. - Physiol. Plant. 72: 605–609.
Pea seedlings ( Pisum sativum L. cv. Weibull's Marma) were used to investigate the possible role of ethylene in light-induced inhibition of root elongation. Illumination of the roots with white light inhibited root elongation by 40–50% and increased ethylene production by the roots about 4-fold. Our main approach was to use exogenous 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), supplied in the growth solution, to monitor ethylene production of the roots independent of light treatment. Ethylene production of excised root tips increased with increasing ACC concentrations. The rate of ethylene production in dark-grown roots treated with 0.1 μ M ACC was similar to that caused by illumination. Low ACC concentrations (0.01–0.1 μ M ) decreased the rate of root elongation, especially in seedlings grown in the dark, and 0.1 μ M ACC inhibited elongation to about the same extent as light. In light the roots curved and grew partly plagiogravitropically. This effect was also simulated by the 0.1 μ M ACC treatment. At 1 μ M and higher concentrations, ACC inhibited root growth almost completely and caused conspicuous curvatures of the root tips both in light and darkness. Inhibitors of ethylene synthesis and action partially counteracted the inhibition of root elongation caused by light. These observations suggest that the increase in ethylene production caused by light is at least partly responsible for the decreased growth of light-exposed roots.     

Inhibition of hypocotyl elongation by ultraviolet-B radiation in de-etiolating tomato seedlings. I. The photoreceptor

Broad-band UV-B radiation inhibited hypocotyl elongation in etiolated tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Alisa Craig) seedlings. This inhibition could be elicited by < 3 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ of UV-B radiation provided against a background of white light (> 620 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ between 320 and 800 nm), and was similar in wild-type and phytochrome-1-deficient aurea mutant seedlings. These observations suggest that the effect of UV-B radiation is not mediated by phytochrome. An activity spectrum obtained by delivering 1 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ of monochromatic UV radiation against a while light background (63 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ showed maximum effectiveness around 300 nm, which suggests that DNA or aromatic residues in proteins are not the chromophores mediating UV-B induced inhibition of elongation. Chemicals that affect the normal (photo)chemistry of flavins and possibly pterins (KI, NaN, and phenylacetic acid) largely abolished the inhibitor) effect of broad-hand UV-B radiation when applied to the root zone before irradiation. KI was effective at concentrations < 10⁻⁴ M , which have been shown in vitro to be effective in quenching the triplet excited stales of flavins but not fluorescence from pterine or singlet states of flavins. Elimination of blue light or reduction of UV-A, two sources of flavin excitation, promoted hypocotyl elongation, but did not affect the inhibition of elongation evened by UV-B. Kl applied after UV-B irradiation had no effect on the inhibition response. Taken together these findings suggest that the chromophore of the photoreceptor system invoked in UV-B perception by tomato seedlings during de-etiolation may be a flavin.     

Aluminium avoidance by Mucuna pruriens

The hypothesis was tested that the avoidance of acid subsoil by the velvet bean Mucuna pruriens is based on a mechanism acting on the whole root system rather than on individual roots. In a split-root experiment with circulating nutrient solution the growth of plants with Al-containing (+/+) or Al-free (0/0) solution on both sides of the root system was compared with that of plants which had a choice (0/+). Two levels of Al (110 and 185 μ M ) were tested at two levels of Ca (50 and 1250 μ M ). In the 185 μ M Al treatment the concentration of monomeric Al varied between 53 μ M , directly after refreshing the solution, and 5 μ M at harvest time.
An external Al concentration of 110 μ M had no effect on shoot and root dry weight, while 185 μ M Al applied to both sides of the root system (+/+) increased root dry weight and reduced shoot dry weight and shoot/root ratio, compared with the 0/0 control. Application of 185 μ M Al to half of the roots, ied to a significant shift in root growth in favour of the control side; this response is described here as Al avoidance. On the basis of total root length, root dry weight and root surface area, the ratio of 0/+ roots was 3.1, 2.8 and 2.4, respectively.
Al avoidance at 185 μ M Al was confirmed in another experiment, in which root response was measured to a local P source, supplied in a third compartment containing only KH₂PO₄. A significant increase in root length and dry weight in this compartment was observed, when other roots of the same plant were growing in the presence of Al. This result indicates that Al avoidance by Mucuna roots is related to P preference.     

Factors increasing ethylene production enhance the sensitivity of root growth to auxins

Light inhibits root elongation, increases ethylene production and enhances the inhibitory action of auxins on root elongation of pea ( Pisum sativum L. cv. Weibulls Marma) seedlings. To investigate the role of ethylene in the interaction between light and auxin, the level of ethylene production in darkness was increased to the level produced in light by supplying 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) or benzylaminopurine (BAP). Ethylene production was measured in excised root tips after treatment of intact seedlings for 24 h, while root growth was measured after 48 h. Auxin, at a concentration causing a partial inhibition of root elongation, did not increase ethylene production significantly. A 4-fold increase in ethylene production, caused either by light, 0.1 μ M ACC or 0.1 μ M BAP, inhibited root elongation by 40–50%. The auxins 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and indolebutyric acid applied at 0.1 μ M inhibited root elongation by 15–25% in darkness but by 50–60% in light. Supply of ACC or BAP in darkness enhanced the inhibitory effects of auxins to about the same extent as in light. The inhibition caused by the auxins as well as by the BAP was associated with swelling of the root tips. ACC and BAP treatment synergistically increased the swelling caused by auxins. We conclude that auxin and ethylene, when applied or produced in partially inhibitory concentrations, act synergistically to inhibit root elongation and increase root diameter. The effect of light on the response of the roots to auxins is mediated by a light-induced increase in ethylene production.     

Effects of estrone and 17 β-estradiol on vegetative growth of Medicago sativa

Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) plants were grown in the absence or presence of the steroidal estrogens, estrone and 17β-estradiol, under varying conditions. Plants were analysed for the following parameters: plant weight, estrogen content, phytoestrogen content, degree of nodulation and nitrogen fixation activity. It was found that under controlled greenhouse conditions: (1) Treatment with estrogens in the range of 0.005 to 0.5 μg 1⁻¹ increases both shoot and root dry weitht. In contrast, estrogen in concentrations of 50 to 500 μg 1⁻¹ decreases plant growth. (2) The effect of estrogen of growth is most marked in the absence of nitrogen. (3) Estrone is more effective in increasing growth than 17 β-estradiol. (4) In the plants where estrogen induced growth there was no significant increase in nitrogen fixation activity and nodule number. (5) Endogenous estrogen content of the plant did not increase at concentrations (0.005-0.5 μg 1⁻¹) which increased vegetative growth. (6) Endogenous estrogen content of the plant did increase at concentrations of estrogen (50-500 μg 1⁻¹ which inhibited vegetative growth and nodule weight. It can be concluded that estrogen in concentrations found in sewage water (0.3 μg estrogen 1⁻¹) can affect the vegetative growth of alfalfa plants.     

Initiation of roots on hypocotyl cuttings of Pinus contorta in vitro

The origin of roots and wound tissue after treatments for induction of roots on hypocotyl cuttings of three-week-old Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud, is discussed. The cuttings were cultured in vitro and treated with 1.2 μ M to 1.5 M IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) for 6 h to 10 days. The control, which was not treated with IBA developed a wound tissue from which roots formed. Cuttings treated with IBA developed roots directly from the hypocotyl. Direct rooting was faster than indirect rooting via a wound tissue. Rooting was considered to be optimal if more than 80% of the cuttings rooted within 19 days and half of the cuttings which possessed roots after one month had acquired them within 14 days. This type of rooting was obtained after treatment with either 80 μ M IBA for 4 to 6 days or 1.25 to 5.0 m M IBA for 6 h. Suboptimal treatments gave lower rooting percentages and superoptimal treatments resulted in delayed rooting. In IBA-treated cuttings, large increases in mitotic activity (number of mitoses per mm hypocotyl) were found in the pericycle and parenchyma inside endodermis. However, the control also had similar mitotic activities as the IBA-treated cuttings but closer to the cut surface. This led us to the conclusion that similar tissues may produce either wound tissue or roots. Almost all roots obtained through direct rooting originated outside resin ducts.     

A dramatic effect of stereochemistry on the plant growth activity of the cadinane group of terpenoids

Seven cadinane terpenoids have been tested as plant growth regulators. Khusinoloxide and epikhusinol acetate greatly stimulated root initiation with hypocotyl cuttings of Phaseolus aureus seedlings.     

Nitric oxide promotes in vitro organogenesis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Linum usitatissimum</Emphasis> L.

The effects of nitric oxide (NO) on caulogenesis, shoot organogenesis and rhizogenesis from hypocotyl explants of Linum usitatissimum were investigated. Exogenously supplied NO donors, 5 μM sodium nitroprusside (SNP), 2 μM S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) and 2 μM 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1), significantly promoted shoot differentiation from the hypocotyl explants of L. usitatissimum excised from its in vitro raised seedlings. Potassium ferrocyanide, a structural analogue of SNP, lacking NO group, did not promote shoot organogenesis. Likewise, products of NO, \textNO₂ ^- {\text{NO}}_{2}^{ - } and \textNO₃ ^- {\text{NO}}_{3}^{ - } supplied as 5 μM NaNO₂ and 5 μM NaNO₃ did not enhance shoot differentiation. Another source of NO, a mixture of sodium nitrite (SN) provided along with ascorbic acid (AsA), also caused significant promotion in the average number of shoots per responding explant. SNP also augmented the rhizogenic response of the microshoots in terms of percentage of responding explants, number of roots per responding explant and average root length. The NO scavengers, 2-(4-carboxy-phenyl)-4, 4, 5, 5-tetramethylimideazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (cPTIO) or methylene blue (MB), provided along with SNP, SNAP, SIN-1 or SN + AsA, at concentrations equimolar to the optimum concentration of the donors, reversed the promotory influence, thereby, confirming the role of NO in promotion of in vitro morphogenesis. However, NO scavengers individually did not affect the observed morphogenic processes. Morphological and histological studies of hypocotyl segments cultured on BM or BM + SNP for 4, 8 and 12 days demonstrated that SNP enhanced shoot differentiation by inducing a higher number of shoot primordia, each of which develops into a single shoot.     

Water Deficit and Abscisic Acid Cause Differential Inhibition of Shoot versus Root Growth in Soybean Seedlings : Analysis of Growth, Sugar Accumulation, and Gene Expression

Roots often continue to elongate while shoot growth is inhibited in plants subjected to low-water potentials. The cause of this differential response to water deficit was investigated. We examined hypocotyl and root growth, polysome status and mRNA populations, and abscisic acid (ABA) content in etiolated soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv Williams) seedlings whose growth was inhibited by transfer to low-water potential vermiculite or exogenous ABA. Both treatments affected growth and dry weight in a similar fashion. Maximum inhibition of hypocotyl growth occurred when internal ABA levels (modulated by ABA application) reached the endogenous level found in the elongating zone of seedlings grown in water-deficient vermiculite. Conversely, root growth was affected to only a slight extent in low-water potential seedlings and by most ABA treatments (in some, growth was promoted). In every seedling section examined, transfer of seedlings into low-water potential vermiculite caused ABA levels to increase approximately 5- to 10-fold over that found in well-watered seedlings. Changes in soluble sugar content, polysome status, and polysome mRNA translation products seen in low-water potential seedlings did not occur with ABA treatments sufficient to cause significant inhibition of hypocotyl elongation. These data suggest that both variation in endogenous ABA levels, and differing sensitivity to ABA in hypocotyls and roots can modulate root/shoot growth ratios. However, exogenous ABA did not induce changes in sugar accumulation, polysome status, and mRNA populations seen after transfer into low-water potential vermiculite.     

Abscisic acid induced stress-like polyamine pattern in wheat seedlings, and its reversal by potassium ions

In 3-day-old wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. cv. Marinat) seedlings, 100 μ M ABA blocked the growth and altered the level of K⁺ in both the shoot and root. The presence of ABA increased the putrescine titer during a 24-h treatment. Increasing the endogenous level of K⁺ by the addition of 10 m M KCl to the ABA-treated seedlings, inhibited the effect of ABA on growth and putrescine level. In both tissues, ABA increased putrescine content at low concentrations (1 μ M ), reaching the maximal effect at 100 μ M . Putrescine increase induced by ABA was inhibited by both α-difluoromethylarginine (DFMA) and α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) in shoots while only the inhibitor of arginine decarboxylase was effective in the root. The presence of ABA modulated, in opposite ways, ornithine and arginine decarboxylase activities. These results are discussed in relation to ion balance under stress.     

In vitro culture of Safflower L. cv. Bhima: initiation,growth optimization and organogenesis

Callus induction and in vitro plantlet regeneration systems for safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) cv. Bhima using root, hypocotyl, cotyledon and leaf explants were optimized by studying the influence on organogenesis of seedling age, media factors, growth regulators and excision orientation. Supplementation of the medium with an auxin: cytokinin ratio < 1 enhanced the growth rate of callus cultures; however, for 2,4-D the ratio was > 1.34–11.41 μM concentrations of growth regulators (IAA, NAA, BA and Kinetin) in the medium were found effective for callus induction and regeneration in all explants. The calli could be maintained over 32 months. BA (4.43 μM) combined with casein hydrolysate (10 mg l-1) yielded the highest rate of shoot production on hypocotyl (3–6) and cotyledon (5–7) explants and cotyledonary derived callus (4–8). More shoots were produced on explants cut from the most basal region of cotyledons from 5 to 7-day-old seedlings than from older seedlings or more distal cut sites. Apolar placement of explants, inhibited shoot regeneration. The shoot regeneration potential remained upto 7 months in calli developed on NAA + BA. Of three media tested, MS was superior to SH-M and B5. Rooting of shoots was not efficient; 42% of the shoots were rooted on MS medium containing sucrose (7–8%) + IAA (2.8–5.7 μM). Capitula induction was observed in both callus mediated shoots on cotyledons and shoots on rooting medium with sucrose, IAA, NAA and IBA. Well developed plantlets were transferred to the field with a 34% success rate. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Improved shoot organogenesis from hypocotyl segments of lingonberry (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vaccinium vitis-idaea</Emphasis> L.)

Summary An improved protocol for shoot regeneration from hypocotyl segments of seedlings from open-pollinated seeds of lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) cultivars, ‘Ida’, ‘Splendor’, and ‘Erntesegen’, and a native clone from Newfoundland was developed. The effect of thidiazuron (TDZ) on adventitious bud and shoot formation from apical, central, and basal segments of the hypocotyl was tested. Highly regenerative callus was obtained from hypocotyl segments on modified Murashige and Skoog (MMS) medium containing 5–10 μM TDZ. A maximum of 10 buds and 12 shoots per apical segment for seedlings of cultivar ‘Ida’ regenerated on MMS containing 10 μM TDZ. Callus and bud regeneration frequency, callus growth, and number of buds and shoots per regenerating explant depended not only on the specific segment of the hypocotyl, but also on parental genotype. Inhibition of shoot elongation by TDZ was overcome by transferring shoot cultures to a shoot proliferation medium containing 1–2 μM zeatin. The optimal concentration of sucrose for shoot elongation was 20 gl⁻¹. Shoots were rooted ex vitro on a 2 peat: 1 perlite (v/v) medium after dipping in 0.8% indole-3-butyric acid, and rooted plants acclimatized readily under greenhouse conditions.