Light and Fusicoccin as Tools for Discriminating Among Responses of Cotyledons to Cytokinins

Kinetin-induced stimulation of electrogenic pumping in soybean suspension cultures is unrelated to signal transduction

Primary modes of action of cytokinins have been thought to involve stimulation of the electrogenic H(+) pump and-or opening of plasmamembrane Ca(2+) channels. In order to test these hypotheses, rapid changes in membrane transport in response to cytokinin application were studied in heterotrophic suspension-cultured callus of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) using electrophysiological techniques. Kinetin (N(6)-furfurylaminopurine; 2 μM) elicited membrane hyperpolarization of 13±1 mV. This effect occurred even at membrane poteintials more negative than the most negative ionic equilibrium potential, and therefore might have resulted either from stimulation of the electrogenic pump, or from closure of ionic channels. The former mechanism of action appears most likely because (i) kinetin-induced membrane hyperpolarization is not accompanied by a significant change in plasma-membrane resistivity and (ii) hyperpolarization is abolished by cyanide, which inhibits electrogenic pump activity by depletion of cellular ATP.Electrogenic pumping is also activated by two other cytokinins: N(6)-(benzyl)adenine and trans-zeatin. However, it is unlikely that the hormonal effect on electrogenesis is directly related to transduction of the cytokinin signal, for the following reasons: (i) hormonally inactive, but chemically related compounds (cis-zeatin, adenine) also elicited membrane hyperpolarization; (ii) hormonally active, N(9)-substituted cytokinins failed to stimulate electrogenesis; (iii) the chemically unrelated cytokinin N,N'-diphenylurea also failed to stimulate electrogenesis.The results imply that the kinetin effect on electrogenic pumping is related to adenine, or its metabolism, and not hormonal action. Adenine was absorbed by soybean cells, but not in sufficient quantities to have a significant effect on adeninenucleotide pools. It appears likely that the control of electrogenesis requires either the presence of a purine free base (i.e. no substituents at the N(9) position) or phosphoribosylation of the free base. No evidence was found for cytokinin-induced Ca(2+)-channel opening, though it is argued that such an event might be physiologically relevant, yet undetectable with the methods employed. It is essential that future studies on cytokinin signal transduction - especially as they relate to membrane transport - take into account the possibility that metabolic effects unrelated to hormone action are dominant.

Development of photosynthetic electron transport reactions under the influence of phytohormones and nitrate nutrition in greening cucumber cotyledons

Development of the photosynthetic electron transport system, under the influence of hormones and nitrate-nutrition, in greening cucumber cotyledon was investigated. Both photosystems, PS I measured as DCPIP → MV, and PS II as H2O → pBQ, were significantly promoted by GA and kinetin with kinetin being more effective. PS II/PS I ratio, though increased in control, did not change significantly with GA or kinetin treatment. Other partial reactions (H2O → MV/K3Fe(CN)6/NADP) were also promoted. Addition of KNO3 showed concentration-dependent effects on growth and photosynthetic electron transport reactions (H2O → MV/K3Fe(CN)6/NADP). It is concluded that both hormones and nutritional status influence development of the photosynthetic electron transport system in greening cucumber cotyledons.

Synthesis of DNA in excised watermelon cotyledons grown in water and benzyladenine

Excised watermelon cotyledons were grown in water and benzyladenine, which greatly promotes growth, breakdown of reserves and development of organelles. In order to investigate the involvement of DNA synthesis in these benzyladenine-induced effects, [(3)H]thymidine was applied continuously (for 3 d) or administered briefly (5 h) to excised cotyledons at various stages of development. Autoradiographic analysis of squashed and sectioned cotyledons showed that both the cytoplasm (mainly in the region of the plastids) and most of the nuclei were labelled. Both types of labelling were promoted by benzyladenine treatment. The highest percentage of labelled nuclei was found in the early stages of growth (first day after excision of cotyledons), long before the burst of enzymatic activities involved in the germination processes. The possible meaning of the increase of nuclear DNA, apart from the normal replicative synthesis preceding cell division, is discussed.

Coaction of light and cytokinin in photomorphogenesis

Intact mustard seedlings were treated with zeatin and photomorphogenetically active light in different ways: (1) hormone treatment preceding light treatment, (2) light treatment preceding hormone treatment, (3) hormone and light applied simultaneously. Under all experimental conditions the effect of the hormone treatment is multiplicative to the light effect with regard to the increase of cotyledon area. However, the hormone effect is additive to the light effect with regard to increases of the level of NADPH-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.13) and carotenoid contents. Anthocyanin synthesis is inhibited by exogenous zeatin whereby the concentration response curves are similar, irrespective of the extent of anthocyanin formation mediated by light. However, an interaction was found in the sense that the responsiveness toward zeatin is decreased somewhat by the action of phytochrome. Our results show that the responsiveness to light (via the far-red-absorbing form of phytochrome; P fr) is not changed by a preceding or simultaneous hormone treatment. Moreover, the responsiveness of the plant to exogenously applied zeatin is not affected - except in anthocyanin synthesis - by a preceding or simultaneous light treatment. We conclude from our results that the action of phytochrome on the developmental processes is not related to cytokinin levels.

Coaction of three factors controlling chlorophyll and anthocyanin synthesis

In a three-factor analysis the rate of chlorophyll a (Chl) accumulation in excised mustard cotyledons was studied as a function of kinetin, light (operating through phytochrome, P fr) and an excision factor. It was found that the three factors operate additively provided that the P fr level is high enough. When the P fr level is below approximately 1 per cent (ϕλ<0.01) the effectiveness of the excision factor decreases while the effect of kinetin remains additive. The observed additivity is explained by a model where the three factors operate independently through a common intermediate (presumably 5-aminolevulinate) in the biosynthetic chain leading to Chl. With regard to the coaction of the excision factor and phytochrome it is concluded that the production of the excision factor requires the operation of phytochrome (even though saturated at a low P fr level) while the action of the excision factor is independent of phytochrome. This conclusion was confirmed by experiments in which the rate of light-mediated anthocyanin synthesis was measured in excised mustard cotyledons. The effect of excision in the case of anthocyanin formation differs kinetically from the effect of excision on Chl formation.