Relationships between endogenous hormonal content and direct somatic embryogenesis in Prunus persica L. Batsch cotyledons

Cotyledons of peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch cv. ZiseMay^®) were cultured in vitro on medium deprived of plant growth regulators. Two different lines varying in their embryogenic capacity were studied after 90 days in culture media. Endogenous levels of abscisic acid (ABA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), trans-zeatin (Z), trans-zeatin riboside (ZR), the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), salicylic acid (SA), and jasmonic acid (JA) were analyzed in embryogenic and non-embryogenic cotyledons. No significant differences were observed in total ABA, IAA, ZR, SA and JA concentrations between the embryogenic and non-embryogenic cotyledons. On the contrary, lower Z and ACC contents, and also a reduced balance between Z and IAA levels were related with the embryogenic capacity of the cotyledons. These results suggest that the difference in somatic embryo formation capacity observed between embryogenic and non-embryogenic cotyledons is related to their endogenous Z contents, and that the endogenous hormonal balance between Z and IAA is an important index defining the embryogenic potential in peach cotyledons.