Leaf Morphology,Pigment Complex,and Productivity in Wild-Type and afila Pea Genotypes

The effects of genetically determined changes in leaf morphology on the characteristics of growth, pigment complex, and productivity were studied in pea plants (Pisum sativum L.). The homeotic afila(af) mutation, which transformed leaflets into tendrils, decreased the leaf area and the chlorophyll (Chl) content per plant (CCP) in the af/af plants 1.5-fold as compared to the wild type (Af/Af). The loss of leaflets in the af/af plants was partly recompensed by expansion of the tendrils and stipules and by extra accumulation of Chl (a + b). The mutation did not affect Chl (a + b) that fell to the share of light-harvesting complexes (LHC) and the ratio of Chl a/b (representing the relative distribution of chlorophylls between LHC and the reaction centers); neither it affected the quantum efficiency of the primary charge separation (F _v/F _m). The diminished assimilating area (AA) in the af/af plants at the preflowering period did not reduce the final biomass and grain yield. The measurement of the area shaded by plants in the glasshouse experiments and the direct assessment of the vertical profile of solar radiation in the field stand canopies demonstrated that this phenomenon was in particular related to the fact that, in the af/af plants, the solar radiation was available to the apical and subapical leaves (as in the wild-type plants) and also to the lower metamers. As a result, the actively functioning AA expanded, and the photoassimilating potential of the af/af plants was enhanced. Our data presume the direct relationship between plant production and CCP.     

ABA content in shoots and roots of pea mutants af and tl as related to their growth and morphogenesis

The comparative study of shoot and root growth was carried out, and the level of ABA therein determined in the mutant af and tl and wild-type isogenic lines of pea. The recessive af mutation transformed the leaflets into tendrils, and the tl mutation transformed the tendrils into leaflets. These mutations did not affect the length and number of internodes. In all plants, the level of ABA in the leaves was 3–10 times greater than in the roots, and in the course of vegetative growth it rose in both organs. An increase in the shoot area of tl mutant did not change the dry weight of underground and above-ground parts; therefore, the ratio shoot/root in the mutant was identical to that in the wild-type plants. The maintenance of shoot dry weight in the tl mutant at the level of wild-type plant while its area considerably increased was accounted for by a decrease in the thickness of the leaflet and stipule blades. The level of ABA in the stipules of mutant plants was greater than in the wild-type plants. A decrease in the shoot area in the af mutant brought about a decline in its dry weight; however, the ratio root/shoot was maintained at the wild-type level due to a reduced accumulation of dry weight by the root. The level of ABA in the roots of the af mutant was twice greater than in the leafy forms. ABA was assumed to participate in the control over the root growth exerted by the shoot. The absence of leaflets in the af plants was partially compensated for by expanding stipules. The level of ABA therein was three times higher than in the plants of wild type and comparable with the level in the leaflets of the tl mutant and in the wild-type plants. The role of ABA in the growth and final size of leaf blades is discussed.     

TheAfGene Regulates Timing and Direction of Major Developmental Events during Leaf Morphogenesis in Garden Pea (Pisum sativum)

The wildtype leaf of the garden pea possesses proximal pairsof leaflets and distal pairs of tendrils in the blade region.Theafila (af) mutation causes leaflets to be replaced by compound(branched) tendrils. We characterized the morphological variationin leaf form along the plant axis and leaf development in earlyand late postembryonic leaves onafilaplants to infer the roleof theAfgene. Leaf forms are more diverse early in shoot ontogenyonafilaplants.Afinfluences pinna length and pinna branchingin addition to pinna type. Pinna initiation in the proximalregion ofafilaleaf primordia is basipetal and delayed comparedto wildtype plants. In addition, pinna development in the proximalregion ofafilaleaves occurs for a longer period of time thanon wildtype leaf primordia. Therefore,Afregulates the timingand direction of leaf developmental processes in the proximalregion of the leaf, but has little effect on the distal region.These data support the heterochronic model of pea leaf morphogenesisproposed by Luet al. (International Journal of Plant Science157:311–355, 1996).Copyright 1999 Annals of Botany Company. afila,Fabaceae, garden pea, heterochrony, leaf morphogenesis,Pisum sativum.     

A GENETIC SYNDROME AFFECTING LEAF DEVELOPMENT IN PISUM

A recessive foliage mutant of Pisum, designated ‘sinuate leaf’ (sil), was found to have two distinct forms of expression, depending on the background genotype. In an af/af background—wherein leaflets are converted to tendrils—sil/sil plants had adventitious tendrils arising from clefts in the distal portion of the stipule. These adventitious tendrils were morphologically modified, just as were the true tendrils on the same plant, by different allelic combinations at the tl locus. In the standard Af background, sil/sil plants had neither incised stipules nor adventitious tendrils, although they did have undulated and somewhat distorted leaflets and stipules. Because mutant expression was variable in an Af background, classification of segregating populations was uncertain. This uncertainty was removed by taking advantange of pleiotropic effects exerted by sil in the presence of one of the wax mutants, wlo, wb, or wsp. Homozygous wlo plants ordinarily have uniformly waxy stipule surfaces, but when the plants were also homozygous for sil the stipule tips were waxless. Conversely, wb/wb and wsp/wsp plants ordinarily have uniformly waxless stipules, but when wb/wb or wsp/wsp plants were also homozygous recessive for sil the stipule tips were waxy. However, sil had no observable effects of any kind on the stipule tips of plants with stipules reduced in size by the action of st/st. By their individual and combined effects, the foliage mutants used in this study revealed developmental relationships among leaf parts not otherwise evident in non-mutant plants.     

The rates of shoot and root growth in intact plants of pea mutants in leaf morphology

Isogenic lines of pea (Pisum sativum L.) with the genetically determined changes in leaf morphology, afila (af) and tendril-less (tl), were used to study the relationship between shoot and root growth rates. The time-course of shoot and root growth was followed during the pre-floral period in the intact plants grown under similar conditions. The af mutation produced afila leaves without leaflets, whereas in the case of the tl mutations, tendrils were substituted with leaflets, and acacia-like leaves were developed. Due to the changes in leaf morphology caused by these mutations, pea genotypes differed in leaf area: starting from day 7, the leaf area was lower in the af plants and larger in the tl plants as compared to the wild-type plants. Such divergence was amplified in the course of plant development and reached its maximum immediately before the transition to flowering. Plants of isogenic lines did not notably differ in stem surface areas. In spite of significant difference in total leaf area, the wild type and tl plants did not differ in leaf dry weight. Starting from leaf 9, the af plants lagged behind two leaflet-bearing genotypes (wild type and tl) in leaf dry weight, whereas stem dry weight was similar in the wild type and tl forms and slightly lower in the af plants. Root dry weights were practically similar in the wild type and tl plants until flowering. The reduction of leaf area in the af plants drastically reduced root dry weight. In other words, the latter index was related to the total weight and total area of leaves and stems. The correlation analysis demonstrated an extremely low relationship between leaf and stem area and dry weight and those of roots early in plant development (when plants develop five to seven leaves). Later, immediately before flowering (nine to eleven leaves), root weight was positively related to leaf weight and area; however, stem area and root weight did not correlate. Thus, in three genotypes (wild type, af, and tl), at the end of their vegetative growth phase, leaf and root biomass accumulated in proportion, independently of leaf area expansion.     

EVOLUTIONARILY STABLE MORPHOLOGIES IN PEA POPULATIONS

We investigated the hypothesis that plant form can dramatically affect plant competitive ability, and that forms with dense canopies can invade populations of plants with more open canopies regardless of initial relative frequencies. Under controlled field conditions, we examined the effects of plant form on growth rate, size variation, mortality, and reproduction in high-density monocultures and mixtures of two morphologically distinct varieties of peas. These two varieties differ genetically at only the afila locus. In high-density monocultures and mixtures, peas with finely dissected, minute leaflets (af/af) grew more slowly and produced fewer seeds than Af/—individuals with large leaflets that cast more shade on neighbors. After as few as four generations, mixtures begun with 10% Af/— peas would be expected to evolve to Af/— monocultures. We conclude that an increase in morphological complexity (e.g., virtually leafless to leafy) can have dramatic ecological and evolutionary impacts on plant population dynamics.     

Roles of the af and tl genes in pea leaf morphogenesis: characterization of the double mutant (afaftltl)

The pleiofila phenotype (afaftltl double mutant) of Pisum sativum arises from two single-gene, recessive mutations known to affect the identity of leaf pinnae, afila (af), and acacia (tl). The wild-type leaf consists of proximal leaflets and distal tendrils, whereas the pleiofila leaf consists of branched pinnae terminating in small leaflets. Using morphological measurements, histology, and SEM, we characterized the variation in leaf form along the plant axis, in leaflet anatomy, and in leaf development in embryonic, early postembryonic, and late postembryonic leaves of aftl and wild-type plants. Leaves on aftl plants increase in complexity more rapidly during shoot ontogeny than those on wild-type plants. Leaflets of aftl plants have identical histology to wild-type leaflets although they have smaller and fewer cells. Pinna initiation is acropetal in early postembryonic leaves of aftl plants and in all leaves of wild-type plants, whereas in late postembryonic leaves of aftl plants pinna initiation is bidirectional. Most phenotypic differences between these genotypes can be attributed to differential timing (heterochrony) of major developmental events.     

Gibberellin translocation in Pisum sativum L.

The physiological and biochemical consequences of treating Le (tall) and le (dwarf) pea seedlings with varying quantities of the gibberellins [³H]GA₂₀ and GA₁ have been investigated. Although the percentage uptake of these compounds from the site of application on the 3 stipules was low and most of the applied GA remained unmetabolised in situ, the quantitative relationship between GA translocation and GA dosage was found to be linear for GA₁ but saturating for GA₂₀. The movement of the GAs and their subsequently produced metabolites was mainly acropetal. They accumulated in greatest quantity in the apical extremities of the shoot. Overall, the extent to which GA₂₀ was metabolished in le seedlings was considerably less than in Le pea seedlings. Although all le tissues contained significantly less [³H]GA₁ than their Le counterparts, phenotypic effects of the le mutation were apparent only on internode and tendril development. Increased tissue growth, consequent upon GA treatment, was also apparent only in the internodes and tendrils of le plants. For internodes, GA₁ content determined the mid-logarithmic-phase growth rate and, consequently, final length. For tendrils, GA₂₀ rather than GA₁ may be the primary stimulatory agent.Abbreviations GA gibberellin - HPLC high-performance liquid chromatography - 1–6 consecutive developmental numbering system for plant tissues/organs as shown in Fig. 1 The author gratefully acknowledges financial support from Imperial Chemical Industries, Plant Protection, Jealott's Hill, Bracknell, Berks., UK and the Science and Engineering Research Council.     

A mutation, tl2, in pea (Pisum sativum L.) affects leaf development only in the heterozygous state

After gamma irradiation of pea seeds, a mutation designated as tendril-less2 (tl2) was induced. In the heterozygous state, it transforms tendrils into very narrow leaflets that resemble the heterozygote phenotype of the classic tl mutation. The tendrils of the double heterozygote tl2/+, tl/+ are converted into oval leaflets. Unlike tl, the novel mutation in the homozygous state does not affect tendrils. The leaf phenotype of homozygotes tl2/tl2 and Tl2/Tl2 do not differ in the tl/+ background. However, the anthocyanin pigmentation is strongly suppressed in petals of tl2/tl2 plants. Some hypotheses to explain the unusual phenotypic manifestation of tl2 are suggested.     

Influence of arachidonic acid and phytoviruses on the hormonal system of potato plants grown in vitro

Changes in the phytohormonal system during the development of antivirus resistance was investigated. This resistance was induced by arachidonic acid (AA) in potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.) grown in vitro. The plants in tubes were treated with AA 7 days before infection with tobacco mosaic virus or potato X virus. These plants were used for ABA, IAA, and cytokinin quantification. As a rule, phytoviruses increased ABA and cytokinin levels and decreased that of IAA in both immunized and unimmunized plants. AA significantly decreased the phytovirus content in potato plants at least during 3 weeks. In general, AA immunization acted as a limiting factor for increasing the ABA and cytokinin concentrations during virus pathogenesis in experimental plants. However, no regularity in the changes of the IAA concentration was noted. The data obtained showed that AA-induced changes in the hormonal system could be an important factor in the mechanism of plant resistance against phytopatogenic viruses.     

Phenotypic expression of wild-type tomato and three wilty mutants in relation to abscisic Acid accumulation in roots and leaflets of reciprocal grafts

Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv Rheinlands Ruhm (RR) and cv Moneymaker and the three wilty mutants flacca (flc), sitiens (sit), and sitiens^w (sit^w), together with most reciprocal grafts, were grown in pots and in solution culture. Detached leaflets, and control and steam-girdled intact plants, were left turgid or were wilted in air. Detached leaflets and the leaflets and roots of the intact plants were analyzed for their abscisic acid (ABA) content. Turgid RR leaflets contained about 2.9 ng ABA per milligram dry weight. On average, the flc and sit leaflets contained 33 and 11% of this amount, respectively. The lack of ABA approximately correlated with the severity of the mutant phenotype. Mutant roots also contained less ABA than wild-type roots. Wild-type scions on mutant stocks (wild type/mutant) maintained the normal phenotype of ungrafted plants. Mutant scions grafted onto wild-type stocks reverted to a near wild-type phenotype. After the wild-type leaves were excised from solution culture-grown mutant/wild-type plants, the revertive morphology of the mutant scions was maintained, although endogenous ABA levels in the leaflets fell to typical mutant levels and the leaflets became wilty again. When stressed in air, both leaflets and roots of RR plants produced stress-induced ABA, but the mutant leaflets and roots did not. The roots and leaflets of the grafted plants behaved according to their own genotype, with the notable exception of mutant roots grown with wild-type scions. Roots of flc and sit^w recovered the ability to accumulate stress-induced ABA when grafted with RR scions before the stress was imposed.     

Variations in abscisic acid, indole-3-acetic acid and zeatin riboside concentrations in two Mediterranean shrubs subjected to water stress

Water stress induced an increase in endogenous concentrations of ABA in Lavandula stoechas L. plants to 13100 pmol ABA g^–1 FW, which may contribute to the maintenance of water relations between the second and the third day of water stress treatment. After the third day, a sharp decrease in ABA levels was observed to 2630 pmol ABA g^–1 FW, together with a decrease in water content and water potential and a loss of plant response to water stress. Water deficit did not induce an increase in endogenous ABA concentration, which remained at 514 pmol ABA g^–1 FW in Rosmarinus officinalis L., which is more sclerophyllous than L. stoechas. Nevertheless, the relative water content of Rosmarinus officinalis L. after seven days of water stress decreased more than 40% and reached values of –3.2 MPa. R. officinalis showed lower levels of ABA, but significantly higher levels of IAA and ZR than L. stoechas (4 times and 6 times respectively in well watered-plants). The increase in ABA levels is not a common mechanism in these two Mediterranean shrubs which survive under water stress conditions.Abbreviations ABA abscisic acid - d days of water stress treatment - DW dry weight - FW fresh weight - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - RP Reversed Phase - RWC relative water content - TW turgid weight - WC water content - ZR zeatin riboside - water potential     

Kinetics of Endogenous Cytokinin, IAA and ABA Levels in Relation to the Growth and Morphology of Tobacco Crown Gall Tissue

The kinetics of endogenous cytokinin, IAA and ABA levels duringthe growth cycle of a wild-type tobacco crown gall (W₃₈-B₆S₃)were compared with that of a shoot-inducing (Shi^-) mutant. Inboth tumor types, high IAA and cytokinin (essentially ribosyl-trans-zeatinand its corresponding glucoside) levels were built up by theend of the linear growth phase and maintained during the greaterpart of the exponential growth period. The stationary phasewas preceded by a very drastic decrease in the endogenous levelof both hormones. Quantitatively, the wild-type tumour showed a higher IAA leveland a reduced cytokinin level compared with the Shi^- mutant.No significantly different endogenous ABA pattern was observed.The reduced cytokinin level might correspond to the ratio oftransformed/untransformed cells in the wild-type tumour whereasthe reduced IAA level in the Shi^- mutant may be correlated withthe deletion of gene 2 in the T-DNA of the pGV 2206 Ti plasmid. The elevated cytokinin/IAA ratio induced shooting mainly ofthe untransformed cells in the Shi^- mutant tissue whereas inthe wild-type, the shoot suppression was compatible with thereduced cytokinin/IAA ratio. ⁴Senior Research Associate Nationaal Fonds WetenschappelijkOnderzoek (N.F.W.O.). ⁵Research Associate N.F.W.O. ⁶Recipient of an Instituut voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek inNijverheid en Landbouw grant. (Received February 23, 1984; Accepted June 19, 1984)     

Indole-3-acetic acid transport in apical dominance: a quantitative approach. Influence of endogenous and exogenous IAA apical source on inhibitory power of IAA transport

The relationship between the amount of indole-3-acetic acid transported (IAA transport) through the second node of 7-day-old pea seedlings and the degree of inhibition of axillary bud outgrowth at the same node was studied. For both the endogenous apical IAA source (leaves of apical bud) and the exogenous one (lanolin paste containing 0.25–1.0 mg mL^–1 IAA) the slope of linear dependence between inhibition and IAA transport was similar. However, the same IAA transport induced different inhibitions, which were higher for the endogenous source. Moreover, the apical bud induced higher inhibition at the same level of IAA transport when the 4th leaf was present than when it was absent. Apparently, the source of IAA also may regulate the inhibitory power of IAA transported from it. IAA transport appears to consists of active and slightly active one moving along different pathways.Abbreviations a and b coefficients of linear regression of the type y = a+bx; - confidence level of t-test - ELISA enzyme linked immunosorbent assay - GR_1,2 ^e/d growth rate of the lateral bud of experimental/decapitated (control) pea plants at the first and second days after treatment or decapitation - I degree of inhibition of lateral bud outgrowth - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - L_1,2,3 the lengths of lateral bud at 1, 2 or 3rd day after treatment or decapitation of pea plants - n data number - r correlation coefficient - T amount of IAA transported through the second node of pea plant for 3 hours - TIBA 2, 3, 5-triiodobenzoic acid - t-test statistical test used here to compare slopes of linear regressions (y = a+bx) calculated as % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGaaeiDaiaabc% cacaqG9aGaaeiiaiaadkgadaWgaaWcbaGaaGymaaqabaGccaqGGaGa% aeylaiaabccacaWGIbWaaSbaaSqaaiaaikdaaeqaaOGaaeiiaiaab+% cacaqGGaWaaOaaaeaacaqGBbaaleqaaOGaaeikaiaabohacaqGLbGa% aeiiaiaadkgadaWgaaWcbaGaaGymaaqabaGccaqGPaWaaWbaaSqabe% aacaqGYaaaaOGaaeiiaiaabUcacaqGGaGaaeikaiaabohacaqGLbGa% aeiiaiaadkgadaWgaaWcbaGaaGOmaaqabaGccaqGPaWaaWbaaSqabe% aacaqGYaaaaOGaaeyxaiaab6caaaa!524A!\[{\text{t = }}b_1 {\text{ - }}b_2 {\text{ / }}\sqrt {\text{[}} {\text{(se }}b_1 {\text{)}}^{\text{2}} {\text{ + (se }}b_2 {\text{)}}^{\text{2}} {\text{]}}{\text{.}}\]     

Effects of Brassmosteroids on Growth, Nodulation, Phytohormone Content and Nitrogenase Activity in French Bean Under Water Stress

Effect of pre-treatments of 1 and 5 M epibrassinolide or homobrassinolide prior to water stress induction on changes in root nodulation and contents of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) and cytokinin trans-zeatin riboside (ZR), and nitrogenase activity was investigated in the nodulated roots of Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Arka Suvidha. Brassinosteroids in the unstressed plants increased root nodulation, ZR content and nitrogenase activity, and also ameliorated their stress-induced decline in the nodulated roots. The ABA contents in the nodules of control or stressed plants were not altered by brassinosteroids treatment. There was an increase in pod yield by brassinosteroids treatment (5 M) in the irrigated control as well as stressed plants without influencing pod number or pod length. Among the brassinosteroids, epibrassinolide was relatively more effective.     

Effects of senescence-induced alteration in cytokinin metabolism on source-sink relationships and ontogenic and stress-induced transitions in tobacco

Senescence and reserve mobilization are integral components of plant development, are basic strategles in stress mitigation, and regulated at least in part by cytokinin. In the present study the effect of altered cytokinin metabolism caused by senescence-specific autoregulated expression of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens IPT gene under control of the P_SAG12 promoter (P_SAG12-IPT) on seed germination and the response to a water-deficit stress was studied in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Cytokinin levels, sugar content and composition of the leaf strata within the canopy of wild-type and P_SAG12-IPT plants confirmed the reported altered source–sink relations. No measurable difference in sugar and pigment content of discs harvested from apical and basal leaves was evident 72 h after incubation with (+)-ABA or in darkness, indicating that expression of the transgene was not restricted to senescing leaves. No difference in quantum efficiency, photosynthetic activity, accumulation of ABA, and stomatal conductance was apparent in apical, middle and basal leaves of either wild-type or P_SAG12-IPT plants after imposition of a mild water stress. However, compared to wild-type plants, P_SAG12-IPT plants were slower to adjust biomass allocation. A stress-induced increase in root:shoot ratio and specific leaf area (SLA) occurred more rapidly in wild-type than in P_SAG12-IPT plants reflecting delayed remobilization of leaf reserves to sink organs in the transformant. P_SAG12-IPT seeds germinated more slowly even though abscisic acid (ABA) content was 50% that of the wild-type seeds confirming cytokinin-induced alterations in reserve remobilization. Thus, senescence is integral to plant growth and development and an increased endogenous cytokinin content impacts source–sink relations to delay ontogenic transitions wherein senescence in a necessary process.     

The content of endogenous hormones and sugars in the process of early somatic embryogenesis in the tree fern <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyathea delgadii</Emphasis> Sternb.

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) of Cyathea delgadii presents a model system for investigating the mechanisms associated with the acquisition of embryogenic competence by single epidermal cells of stipe explants cultured on plant growth regulator-free medium. The present work reveals relationship between endogenous hormone and sugar content in the process of early SE in C. delgadii. By comparing two types of initial explants, i.e. incapable (non-etiolated) and capable (etiolated) of SE, it was established that in etiolated explants, the glucose, fructose, sucrose, and abscisic acid (ABA) contents diminished, but indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and cytokinins (CKs; i.e. cis/trans zeatin, cis/trans-zeatin riboside, kinetin, kinetin riboside, isopentenyladenosine) contents increased. The ratios between phytohormones revealed that a high concentration of ABA is the main factor inhibiting SE induction. Because of explant excision, a dramatic reduction in concentration of all phytohormones studied was observed, but hormonal balance and sugar content remained almost unchanged. During the 14-day-long culture, the ABA/CKs and ABA/IAA ratios remained constant, whereas the greatest differences were detected for the IAA/CKs and Z-type/iPA cytokinin ratios. Excluding day 6 of culture, cytokinins were found to be the predominant phytohormones over IAA. An almost 12-fold increase in soluble sucrose concentration at day 6 of culture might be the switch to the SE expression phase. Frequent cell divisions leading to somatic embryo formation are clearly associated with increase in trans-zeatin riboside content.     

Light-induced expression of ipt from Agrobacterium tumefaciens results in cytokinin accumulation and osmotic stress symptoms in transgenic tobacco

Cytokinins are plant growth regulators that induce shoot formation, inhibit senescence and root growth. Experiments with hydroponically grown tobacco plants, however, indicated that exogenously applied cytokinin led to the accumulation of proline and osmotin. These responses were also associated with environmental stress reactions, such as salt stress, in many plant species. To test whether increased endogenous cytokinin accumulation led to NaCl stress symptoms, the gene ipt from Agrobacterium tumefaciens, encoding isopentenyl transferase, was transformed into Nicotiana tabacum cv. SR-1 under the control of the light-inducible rbcS-3A promoter from pea. In high light (300 mol PPFD m^-2 s^-1), ipt mRNA was detected and zeatin/zeatin glucoside levels were 10-fold higher than in control plants or when transformants were grown in low light (30 mol PPFD m^-2 s^-1). High light treatment was accompanied by increased levels of proline and osmotin when compared to low light grown transformed and untransformed control plants. Elevated in planta cytokinin levels induced responses also stimulated by salt stress, suggesting either common or overlapping signaling pathways are initiated independently by cytokinin and NaCl, setting in motion gene expression normally elicited by developmental processes such as flowering or environmental stress.Abbreviations IPT isopentenyl, transferase - rbcS-3A gene encoding a small subunit protein (SSU) of Rubisco from Pisum sativum - Rubisco ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase     

Mass-spectrometric quantitation of cytokinins in tobacco crown-gall tumours induced by mutated octopine Ti plasmids of Agrobacterium tumefaciens

The levels of the major cytokinins, zeatin, zeatin riboside, zeatin riboside-5-monophosphate and zeatin-7-glucoside were measured in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) crown-gall tissues carrying insertion and deletion mutations in the T-DNA. Measurements were made by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using selected ion monitoring with ¹⁵N- and ²H-labelled internal standards. The results demonstrate that, relative to wild-type tumour tissue, cytokinin levels are considerably elevated in tissues lacking functional T-DNA auxin-biosynthetic genes. From a detailed analysis of the major cytokinin metabolites it is concluded that a reduction in the extent of cytokinin degradation via N⁶-side-chain cleavage is an important factor leading to increased cytokinin levels in these tissues.Abbreviations IAA indole-3-acetic acid - SIM selected ion monitoring - Z zeatin - [7G]Z zeatin-7-glucoside - [9R]Z zeatin-9-riboside - [9R-5P]Z zeatin riboside-5-monophosphate