Morphology of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Sante) stem node cultures in relation to the level of endogenous cytokinins

Stem node culture of the potato (Solanum tuberosum) cv. Sante was used to examine the phenotypical alterations due to different levels of endogenous cytokinins. The altered phenotype, which dramatically deviates from the control phenotype, was induced after treatment of plantlets with 1 m jasmonic acid. Plantlets grown on the medium supplemented with jasmonic acid were taller, with well developed root systems, expanded leaves, thickened stems, and they showed hyperhydric symptoms. Their cytokinin content was about half that of the control plantlets. Morphologic characteristics corresponding to transgenic plants that overproduce cytokinins, including release of axillary buds and inhibited rooting, correlated with the high cytokinin levels in control plants.Abbreviations JA jasmonic acid - Z trans-zeatin - ZR trans-zeatin riboside - ZRMP zeatin riboside 5-monophosphate - Z-9-G trans-zeatin N-9-glucoside - DHZ dihydrozeatin - DHZR dihydrozeatin riboside - DHZRMP dihydrozeatin riboside 5-monophosphate - DHZ-9-G dihydrozeatin 9-glucoside - iP iso-pentenyladenine - iPA iso-pentenyladenosine - iP-9-G iso-pentenyladenine 9-glucoside - HPLC high performance liquid chromatography