Regulation of cell proliferation and morphogenesis by amino acids inBrassica tissue cultures and its correlation with threonine deaminase

The effect of amino acids has been investigated with respect to the capacity ofBrassica cultures to undergo proliferation and differentiation. Hormone medium without any amino acid resulted in 6% shoot formation. Addition of optimal concentrations of L-leucine and L-isoleucine enhanced shoot formation upto 30% and 60%, respectively. L-methionine, L-threonine and pyruvic acid supported only proliferation but no differentiation. Amino acids had a marked effect on the activity of enzyme threonine deaminase (TD), bothin vivo andin vitro. TD in proliferating callus cultures was 3-fold higher than in differentiating cultures. Amino acids which induced cell proliferation increased TD while those which supported differentiation repressed it. Amino acids which did not alter TD activity had no effect on morphogenesis. The results suggest that amino acids play a regulatory role inBrassica morphogenesis which can be correlated with the activity of threonine deaminase.