Changes of the CN-resistant Respiration in Callus Cultures of Nicotiana tabacurn during the Period of Differentiation

The callus cultures obtained from unpollinated young ovaries of willow leaf tobacco were transplanted separately on subculture medium (M-l) and differentiation medium (M-2). They were called M-1 callus and M-2 callus respectively. Only meristematic cells and parenchymas could be observed in M-1 callus. The M-2 callus, however, was able to differentiation into vascular systems, embryoids and bud primordia. The respiration of M-1 callus exhibited CN-insensitive. The relative contributions of alternative pathway and eytochrome pathway to the total respiration were 29–38% and 44–51% respectively during the culture period of 25 days. It was obvious that the bulk of the respiratory electron flux was mediated by the eytochrome pathway. The greater part of the respiration in M-2 callus was insensitive to cyanide. The relative contributions of alternative pathway and cytochrome pathway to the total respiration were 41–47% and 29–32% respectively. These results suggested that the increase in the participation of the alternative pathway in total respiration was probablely related to the differentiation of the callus culture.