Transport and metabolism of xylem cytokinins during lateral bud release in decapitated chickpea (Cicer arietinum) seedlings

Although cytokinins (CKs) are widely thought to have a role in promoting shoot branching, there is little data supporting a causative or even a correlative relationship between endogenous CKs and timing of bud outgrowth. We previously showed that lateral bud CK content increased rapidly following shoot decapitation. However, it is not known whether roots are the source of this CK. Here, we have used shoot decapitation to instantaneously induce lateral bud release in chickpea seedlings. This treatment rapidly alters rate and direction of solvent and solute (including CK) trafficking, which may be a passive signalling mechanism central to initiation of lateral bud release. To evaluate changes in xylem transport, intact and decapitated plants were infiltrated with ³H]zeatin riboside (³H]ZR), a water‐soluble blue dye or ³H]H₂O by injection into the hypocotyl. All three tracers were recovered in virtually all parts of the shoot within 1 h of injection. In intact plants, solute accumulation in the lateral bud at node 1 was significantly less than in the adjacent stipule and nodal tissue. In decapitated plants, accumulation of ³H]ZR and of blue dye in the same bud position was increased 3‐ to 10‐fold relative to intact plants, whereas content of ³H]H₂O was greatly reduced indicating an increased solvent throughput. The stipule and cut stem, predicted to have high evapotranspiration rates, also showed increased solute content accompanied by enhanced depletion of ³H]H₂O. To assess whether metabolism modifies quantities of active CK reaching the buds, we followed the metabolic fate of ³H]ZR injected at physiological concentrations. Within 1 h, 80–95% of ³H]ZR was converted to other active CKs (mainly zeatin riboside‐5′phosphate (ZRMP) and zeatin (Z)), other significant, but unconfirmed metabolites some of which may be active (O‐acetylZR, O‐acetylZRMP and a compound correlated with sites of high CK‐concentrations) and inactive catabolites (adenosine, adenine, 5′AMP and water). Despite rapid metabolic degradation, the total active label, which was indicative of CK concentration in buds, increased rapidly following decapitation. It can be inferred that xylem sap CKs represent one source of active CKs appearing in lateral buds after shoot decapitation.