Gene expression in cytokinin-and light-mediated plastogenesis of Cucurbita cotyledons: ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

The Rootstock Genotypes Determine Drought Tolerance by Regulating Aquaporin Expression at the Transcript Level and Phytohormone Balance

Grapevine rootstocks may supply water to the scion according to the transpiration demand, thus modulating plant responses to water deficit, but the scion variety can alter these responses, as well. The rootstock genotypes' effect on the scion physiological response, aquaporin expression, and hormone concentrations in the xylem and the leaf was assessed under well watered (WW) and water stress (WS) conditions. Under WW, vines grafted onto 1103P and R110 rootstocks (the more vigorous and drought-tolerant) showed higher photosynthesis (AN), stomatal conductance (gs), and hydraulic conductance (Khplant) compared with the less vigorous and drought-sensitive rootstock (161-49C), while under WS, there were hardly any differences between vines depending on the rootstock grafted. Besides, stomatal traits were affected by drought, which was related to gs, but not by the rootstock. Under WS conditions, all VvPIP and VvTIP aquaporins were up-regulated in the vines grafted onto 1103P and down-regulated in the ones grafted onto 161-49C. The 1103P capability to tolerate drought was enhanced by the up-regulation of all VvPIP and VvTIP aquaporins, lower ABA synthesis, and higher ACC/ABA ratios in leaves during WS compared with 161-49C. It was concluded that, under WW conditions, transpiration and stomatal control were rootstock-dependent. However, under WS conditions, alterations in the molecular components of water transport and hormone concentration of the scion resulted in similar gas exchange values in the studied scions grafted onto different rootstocks.

Root-shoot communication in tomato plants: cytokinin as a signal molecule modulating leaf photosynthetic activity

Photosynthetic activity is affected by exogenous and endogenous inputs, including source-sink balance. Reducing the source to sink ratio by partial defoliation or heavy shading resulted in significant elevation of the photosynthetic rate in the remaining leaf of tomato plants within 3 d. The remaining leaf turned deep green, and its area increased by almost 3-fold within 7 d. Analyses of photosynthetic activity established up-regulation due to increased carbon fixation activity in the remaining leaf, rather than due to altered water balance. Moreover, senescence of the remaining leaf was significantly inhibited. As expected, carbohydrate concentration was lower in the remaining leaf than in the control leaves; however, expression of genes involved in sucrose export was significantly lower. These results suggest that the accumulated fixed carbohydrates were primarily devoted to increasing the size of the remaining leaf. Detailed analyses of the cytokinin content indicated that partial defoliation alters cytokinin biosynthesis in the roots, resulting in a higher concentration of trans-zeatin riboside, the major xylem-translocated molecule, and a higher concentration of total cytokinin in the remaining leaf. Together, our findings suggest that trans-zeatin riboside acts as a signal molecule that traffics from the root to the remaining leaf to alter gene expression and elevate photosynthetic activity.

Role of Cytokinins in Senescence, Antioxidant Defence and Photosynthesis

Cytokinins modulate a number of important developmental processes, including the last phase of leaf development, known as senescence, which is associated with chlorophyll breakdown, photosynthetic apparatus disintegration and oxidative damage. There is ample evidence that cytokinins can slow down all these senescence-accompanying changes. Here, we review relationships between the various mechanisms of action of these regulatory molecules. We highlight their connection to photosynthesis, the pivotal process that generates assimilates, however may also lead to oxidative damage. Thus, we also focus on cytokinin induction of protective responses against oxidative damage. Activation of antioxidative enzymes in senescing tissues is described as well as changes in the levels of naturally occurring antioxidative compounds, such as phenolic acids and flavonoids, in plant explants. The main goal of this review is to show how the biological activities of cytokinins may be related to their chemical structure. New links between molecular aspects of natural cytokinins and their synthetic derivatives with antisenescent properties are described. Structural motifs in cytokinin molecules that may explain why these molecules play such a significant regulatory role are outlined.

New Urea Derivatives Are Effective Anti-senescence Compounds Acting Most Likely via a Cytokinin-Independent Mechanism

Stress-induced senescence is a global agro-economic problem. Cytokinins are considered to be key plant anti-senescence hormones, but despite this practical function their use in agriculture is limited because cytokinins also inhibit root growth and development. We explored new cytokinin analogs by synthesizing a series of 1,2,3-thiadiazol-5-yl urea derivatives. The most potent compound, 1-(2-methoxy-ethyl)-3-1,2,3-thiadiazol-5-yl urea (ASES - Anti-Senescence Substance), strongly inhibited dark-induced senescence in leaves of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Arabidopsis thaliana. The inhibitory effect of ASES on wheat leaf senescence was, to the best of our knowledge, the strongest of any known natural or synthetic compound. In vivo, ASES also improved the salt tolerance of young wheat plants. Interestingly, ASES did not affect root development of wheat and Arabidopsis, and molecular and classical cytokinin bioassays demonstrated that ASES exhibits very low cytokinin activity. A proteomic analysis of the ASES-treated leaves further revealed that the senescence-induced degradation of photosystem II had been very effectively blocked. Taken together, our results including data from cytokinin content analysis demonstrate that ASES delays leaf senescence by mechanism(s) different from those of cytokinins and, more effectively. No such substance has yet been described in the literature, which makes ASES an interesting tool for research of photosynthesis regulation. Its simple synthesis and high efficiency predetermine ASES to become also a potent plant stress protectant in biotechnology and agricultural industries.

Cytokinin-Regulated Sucrose Metabolism in Stay-Green Wheat Phenotype

A wheat stay-green mutant, tasg1, was observed to exhibit significantly delayed senescence in the late developmental stage. The photosynthetic capacity of the flag leaf was greater in tasg1 than in wild type (WT) plants. In addition, the grain volume of tasg1 was significantly higher than that of WT at the early filling stage. The content of various cytokinins (CKs) in the grain was significantly higher in tasg1 than in WT and was accompanied by an upregulated expression of some cell cycle-related genes. Examination of the metabolism of soluble sugars in tasg1 and WT revealed that the concentrations of glucose (Glu), fructose (Fru), and sucrose (Suc) were higher in the flag leaves and grains of tasg1 than in WT plants. The activities of sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS), sucrose synthase (SuSy), and cell wall invertase (CW-invertase) were higher in tasg1, suggesting an altered metabolism and transport of soluble sugars. Furthermore, when tasg1 was treated with the CK inhibitor lovastatin, the activity of invertase was inhibited and was associated with premature senescence phenotype. However, the activity of invertase was partially recovered in tasg1 when treated with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). The trend of change in the concentrations of Glu, Fru, and Suc was similar to that of invertase. Our results suggest that CKs might regulate the stay-green phenotype of tasg1 by regulating the invertase activity involved in Suc remobilization.

Regulation of chloroplast development and function by cytokinin

A role of the plant hormone cytokinin in regulating the development and activity of chloroplasts was described soon after its discovery as a plant growth regulator more than 50 years ago. Its promoting action on chloroplast ultrastructure and chlorophyll synthesis has been reported repeatedly, especially during etioplast-to-chloroplast transition. Recently, a protective role of the hormone for the photosynthetic apparatus during high light stress was shown. Details about the molecular mechanisms of cytokinin action on plastids are accumulating from genetic and transcriptomic studies. The cytokinin receptors AHK2 and AHK3 are mainly responsible for the transduction of the cytokinin signal to B-type response regulators, in particular ARR1, ARR10, and ARR12, which are transcription factors of the two-component system mediating cytokinin functions. Additional transcription factors linking cytokinin and chloroplast development include CGA1, GNC, HY5, GLK2, and CRF2. In this review, we summarize early and more recent findings of the long-known relationship between the hormone and the organelle and describe crosstalk between cytokinin, light, and other hormones during chloroplast development.

gigantea suppresses immutans variegation by interactions with cytokinin and gibberellin signaling pathways

The immutans (im) variegation mutant of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) is an ideal model to gain insight into factors that control chloroplast biogenesis. im defines the gene for PTOX, a plastoquinol terminal oxidase that participates in the control of thylakoid redox. Here, we report that the im defect can be suppressed during the late stages of plant development by gigantea (gi2), which defines the gene for GI, a central component of the circadian clock that plays a poorly understood role in diverse plant developmental processes. imgi2 mutants are late flowering and display other well-known phenotypes associated with gi2, such as starch accumulation and resistance to oxidative stress. We show that the restoration of chloroplast biogenesis in imgi2 is caused by a development-specific derepression of cytokinin signaling that involves cross talk with signaling pathways mediated by gibberellin (GA) and SPINDLY (SPY), a GA response inhibitor. Suppression of the plastid defect in imgi2 is likely caused by a relaxation of excitation pressures in developing plastids by factors contributed by gi2, including enhanced rates of photosynthesis and increased resistance to oxidative stress. Interestingly, the suppression phenotype of imgi can be mimicked by crossing im with the starch accumulation mutant, starch excess1 (sex1), perhaps because sex1 utilizes pathways similar to gi. We conclude that our studies provide a direct genetic linkage between GI and chloroplast biogenesis, and we construct a model of interactions between signaling pathways mediated by gi, GA, SPY, cytokinins, and sex1 that are required for chloroplast biogenesis.

Investigation into the mechanism of stimulation by low-concentration stressors in barley seedlings

Beneficial effects of low-concentration chemical stressors have been investigated previously in different model systems. The symptoms of stimulation are known from earlier studies, but information about the mechanism is at an initial stage. In the present work, the mechanism of stimulation of low-concentration Cd (5 x 10(-8)M) and 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU, 10(-7)M) was investigated in barley seedlings. In treated plants, the amount of cytokinins increased in roots and, after being transported to the leaves, they caused stimulation there. To identify the signal transduction pathway(s) involved in the primary stimulation of cytokinin synthesis (and/or activation) in roots, specific phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate-inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate/diacylglycerol (PIP(2)-IP(3)/DAG) and mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway inhibitors were added to the nutrient solution, and all proved to be effective, eliminating the stimulation by the stressors. Measurements of superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) activity and the amount of malonyldialdehyde (MDA) showed that the increased amount of Cd did not cause oxidative stress in the roots, and no oxidative stress was found in the leaves, where Cd did not even accumulate. DCMU slightly increased the activity of SOD after 1 week in roots, but did not cause lipid peroxidation. In leaves, there was no oxidative stress upon treatment with DCMU. Thus, oxidative stress cannot be responsible for the stimulation with low-concentration stressors, as they changed the activity of SOD differently, while being equally stimulative for the plants.

Cytokinin deficiency causes distinct changes of sink and source parameters in tobacco shoots and roots

Cytokinin deficiency causes pleiotropic developmental changes such as reduced shoot and increased root growth. It was investigated whether cytokinin-deficient tobacco plants, which overproduce different cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase enzymes, show changes in different sink and source parameters, which could be causally related to the establishment of the cytokinin deficiency syndrome. Ultrastructural analysis revealed distinct changes in differentiating shoot tissues, including an increased vacuolation and an earlier differentiation of plastids, which showed partially disorganized thylakoid structures later in development. A comparison of the ploidy levels revealed an increased population of cells with a 4C DNA content during early stages of leaf development, indicating an inhibited progression from G2 to mitosis. To compare physiological characteristics of sink leaves, source leaves and roots of wild-type and cytokinin-deficient plants, several photosynthetic parameters, content of soluble sugars, starch and adenylates, as well as activities of enzymes of carbon assimilation and dissimilation were determined. Leaves of cytokinin-deficient plants contained less chlorophyll and non-photochemical quenching of young leaves was increased. However, absorption rate, photosynthetic capacity (F(v)/F(m) and J(CO2 max)) and efficiency (Phi CO(2 app)), as well as the content of soluble sugars, were not strongly altered in source leaves, indicating that chlorophyll is not limiting for photoassimilation and suggesting that source strength did not restrict shoot growth. By contrast, shoot sink tissues showed drastically reduced contents of soluble sugars, decreased activities of vacuolar invertases, and a reduced ATP content. These results strongly support a function of cytokinin in regulating shoot sink strength and its reduction may be a cause of the altered shoot phenotype. Roots of cytokinin-deficient plants contained less sugar compared with wild-type. However, this did not negatively affect glycolysis, ATP content, or root development. It is suggested that cytokinin-mediated regulation of the sink strength differs between roots and shoots.

Immediate-early and delayed cytokinin response genes of Arabidopsis thaliana identified by genome-wide expression profiling reveal novel cytokinin-sensitive processes and suggest cytokinin action through transcriptional cascades

Cytokinins are hormones that regulate many developmental and physiological processes in plants. Recent work has revealed that the cytokinin signal is transduced by two-component systems to the nucleus where target genes are activated. Most of the rapid transcriptional responses are unknown. We measured immediate-early and delayed cytokinin responses through genome-wide expression profiling with the Affymetrix ATH1 full genome array (Affymetrix Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA). Fifteen minutes after cytokinin treatment of 5-day-old Arabidopsis seedlings, 71 genes were upregulated and 11 genes were downregulated. Immediate-early cytokinin response genes include a high portion of transcriptional regulators, among them six transcription factors that had previously not been linked to cytokinin. Five plastid transcripts were rapidly regulated as well, indicating a rapid transfer of the signal to plastids or direct perception of the cytokinin signal by plastids. After 2 h of cytokinin treatment genes coding for transcriptional regulators, signaling proteins, developmental and hormonal regulators, primary and secondary metabolism, energy generation and stress reactions were over-represented. A significant number of the responding genes are known to regulate light (PHYA, PSK1, CIP8, PAT1, APRR), auxin (Aux/IAA), ethylene (ETR2, EIN3, ERFs/EREBPs), gibberellin (GAI, RGA1, GA20 oxidase), nitrate (NTR2, NIA) and sugar (STP1, SUS1) dependent processes, indicating intense crosstalk with environmental cues, other hormones and metabolites. Analysis of cytokinin-deficient 35S:AtCKX1 transgenic seedlings has revealed additional, long-lasting cytokinin-sensitive changes of transcript abundance. Comparative overlay-analysis with the software tool mapman identified previously unknown cytokinin-sensitive metabolic genes, for example in the metabolism of trehalose-6-phosphate. Taken together, we present a genome-wide view of changes in cytokinin-responsive transcript abundance of genes that might be functionally relevant for the many biological processes that are governed by cytokinins.

Rejuvenation of ageing bean leaves under the effect of low-dose stressors

The effect of low concentrations of some stress-inducing compounds like Cd, Pb, Ni, and Ti salts and DCMU on the senescence of chloroplasts was investigated in detached primary leaves of bean. After the petioles of ageing leaves had developed roots, these low-dose stressors stimulated chlorophyll synthesis and photosynthetic activity, as compared to the control, thus causing rejuvenation in treated leaves. The amount of photosystem I (lowest in DCMU-treated leaves) and light-harvesting complex II increased, while that of photosystem II decreased or remained unchanged. Fluorescence induction parameters indicated unchanged electron transport (except for DCMU treatment). CO2 fixation and, in some cases, starch accumulation was stimulated. In parallel, the occurrence of large plastoglobuli seemed to decrease in plastids of heavy metal-treated leaves. A cytokinin bioassay of leaf extracts confirmed the cytokinin-mediated effect of low-dose stressors, as the slopes of Chl and cytokinin curves were similar during the rejuvenation process. It is assumed that these stressors generate non-specific alarm reactions, which involve changes in the hormonal balance by increasing the synthesis of cytokinins.

Overexpression of Arabidopsis response regulators, ARR4/ATRR1/IBC7 and ARR8/ATRR3, alters cytokinin responses differentially in the shoot and in callus formation

Arabidopsis ARR4/ATRR1/IBC7 and ARR8/ATRR3 are homologous genes of prokaryotic response regulators that are involved in the His-Asp phosphorelay signal transduction. We analyzed the function of these genes as response regulators using transgenic plants. Overexpression of ARR4 in cultured stems of the transgenics markedly promoted shoot formation in the presence of cytokinin, while overexpression of ARR8 repressed shoot formation and greening of calli. The expression level of cytokinin-inducible genes, cycD3 and cab increased in the ARR4 overexpressor but decreased in the ARR8 overexpressor. By contrast, two drought stress-inducible genes, rd29A and erd1, were expressed in both overexpressors as that in control plants. These results suggest that ARR4 and ARR8 are involved in cytokinin signal transduction, and that ARR4 functions as a positive-regulator, whereas ARR8 functions as a negative-regulator. Furthermore, microarray analysis showed that several genes were up-regulated in the ARR4 overexpressor. Consistent with these results, ARR4 and ARR8 might play important roles in the sensoring system of cytokinin signal transduction pathway in various developmental and environmental conditions and the regulation of gene expression.

Acclimation of plants to light gradients in leaf canopies: evidence for a possible role for cytokinins transported in the transpiration stream

The mechanism of response of plants to vertical light intensity gradients in leaf canopies was investigated. Since shaded leaves transpire less than leaves in high light, it was hypothesized that cytokinins (CKs) carried by mass transport in the transpiration stream would be distributed over the leaf area of partially shaded plants parallel to the gradient in light intensity. It was also hypothesized that this causes the distribution of leaf growth, leaf N and photosynthetic capacity, and possibly chloroplast acclimation as observed in plants growing in leaf canopies. In a field experiment, the distribution of Ca, N and CKs in a bean leaf canopy of a dense and an open stand supported the concept of a role for CKs in the response of N allocation to the light gradient when a decreasing sensitivity for CKs with increasing leaf age is assumed. Both shading of one leaf of the pair of primary bean leaves and independent reduction of its transpiration rate in a growth cabinet experiment caused lower dry mass, N and Ca per unit leaf area in comparison to the opposite not treated leaf. Shading caused a parallel reduction in CK concentration, which supports the hypothesis, but independent reduction of transpiration rate failed to do the same. Application of benzylaminopurine (BA) counteracted the reduction caused by shade of leaf N, photosynthetic capacity and leaf area growth. The experiments show an important role for the transpiration stream in the response of plants to light gradients. Evidence is presented here that CKs carried in the transpiration stream may be important mediators for the acclimation of plants to leaf canopy density.

Sink regulation of photosynthesis

The concept that photosynthetic flux is influenced by the accumulation of photo-assimilate persisted for 100 years before receiving any strong experimental support. Precise analysis of the mechanisms of photosynthetic responses to sink activity required the development of a battery of appropriate molecular techniques and has benefited from contemporary interest in the effects of elevated CO2 on photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is one of the most highly integrated and regulated metabolic processes to maximize the use of available light, to minimize the damaging effects of excess light and to optimize the use of limiting carbon and nitrogen resources. Hypotheses of feedback regulation must take account of this integration. In the short term, departure from homeostasis can lead to redox signals, which cause rapid changes in the transcription of genes encoding photosystems I and II. End-product synthesis can exert short-term metabolic feedback control through Pi recycling. Beyond this, carbohydrate accumulation in leaves when there is an imbalance between source and sink at the whole plant level can lead to decreased expression of photosynthetic genes and accelerated leaf senescence. In a high CO2 world this may become a more prevalent feature of photosynthetic regulation. However, sink regulation of photosynthesis is highly dependent on the physiology of the rest of the plant. This physiological state regulates photosynthesis through signal transduction pathways that co-ordinate the plant carbon : nitrogen balance, which match photosynthetic capacity to growth and storage capacity and underpin and can override the direct short-term controls of photosynthesis by light and CO2. Photosynthate supply and phytohormones, particularly cytokinins, interact with nitrogen supply to control the expression of photosynthesis genes, the development of leaves and the whole plant nitrogen distribution, which provides the dominant basis for sink regulation of photosynthesis.

Cytokinin regulation of a soybean pollen allergen gene

Cytokinin treatment of suspension-cultured soybean cells stimulated the accumulation of an mRNA, called cim 1, by a factor of ca. 20 within 4 h. Induction of cim 1 mRNA accumulation occurred at benzyladenine concentrations as low as 10(-8) M. Furthermore, cim 1 mRNA accumulation was stimulated in the absence of cytokinin by staurosporine (an inhibitor of protein kinases) and inhibited in the presence of cytokinin by okadaic acid (an inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2a), suggesting that cim 1 accumulation in response to cytokinin is dependent on cytokinin-induced dephosphorylation of one or more cellular proteins. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cim 1 protein product, derived from the complete nucleotide sequence of a cim 1 cDNA, was 40% identical to that of a perennial rye grass pollen allergen cDNA (Lol Pl). This sequence also indicated that the cim 1 protein product contains a putative signal peptide followed by predominantly hydrophilic residues, consistent with the hypothesis that it is exported to the apoplast.

Phenotypically normal transgenic T-cyt tobacco plants as a model for the investigation of plant gene expression in response to phytohormonal stress

The tumour-inducing T-DNA gene 4 (T-cyt gene) of the nopaline Ti plasmid pTiC58 was cloned and introduced into tobacco cells by leaf disc transformation using Agrobacterium plasmid vectors. Tobacco shoots exposed to elevated cytokinin levels were unable to develop roots and lacked apical dominance. Using exogenously applied phytohormone manipulations we were able to regenerate morphologically normal transgenic tobacco plants which differed in endogenous cytokinin levels from normal untransformed plants. Although T-cyt gene mRNA levels, as revealed by dot-blot hybridization data, in these rooting plants were only about half those in primary transformed shoots the total amount of cytokinins was much lower than in crown gall tissue or cytokinin-type transformed shoots as reported by others. Nevertheless the cytokinin content in T-cyt plants was about 3 times greater than in control tobacco plants. Elevated cytokinin levels have been shown to change the expression of several plant genes, including some nuclear genes encoding chloroplast proteins. Our results show that the mRNA levels of chloroplast rbcL gene increase in cytokinin-type transgenic tobacco plants as compared with untransformed plants. Data obtained suggest that T-cyt transgenic plants are a good model for studying plant gene activity in different parts of the plant under endogenous cytokinin stress.

Cytokinin modulation of LHCP mRNA levels: the involvement of post-transcriptional regulation

When white-light-grown Lemna gibba plants are placed in the dark, the levels of mRNAs for two nuclear-encoded chloroplast proteins, the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (SSU) and the major chlorophyll a/b-binding protein of light-harvesting complex II (LHCP), decline to a small fraction of their previous level. We have reported [4] that red light (R), acting through phytochrome, and benzyladenine (BA), a synthetic cytokinin, independently stimulate accumulation of both mRNAs in the dark. Here, we have analyzed the products of transcription in isolated nuclei to determine if cytokinins act primarily through stimulation of transcription or if post-transcriptional processes are involved. We find that BA pretreatment may slightly stimulate transcription of LHCP RNA either with or without a red-light treatment. However, the effects of BA on the LHCP RNA accumulation were much greater than on transcription. Two naturally occurring cytokinins are also effective in increasing the mRNA abundance. We therefore conclude that, in Lemna, post-transcriptional processes are important in regulation of the LHCP RNA by cytokinins.

Level of messenger RNA encoding small subunit ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase is enhanced by cytokinins in tobacco cell suspension cultures

Chloroplast differentiation is induced by cytokinins in suspension cell cultures of Nicotiana tabacum, line 19M which is independent of the hormone supply for growth. Poly(A)RNA from cells cultured in basal medium or in kinetin-supplemented medium were analyzed by Northern blot and dot blot hybridizations to a 'RUBISCO' small subunit-encoding cDNA probe. It was found that the small subunit-encoding mRNA of cytokinin-supplemented cells was synthesized much earlier during the culture and in amounts one order of magnitude larger than in hormone-starved cells.

Effect of cytokinins on ribosomal RNA gene expression in excised cotyledons of Cucurbita pepo L

Excised pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) cotyledons were used to investigate the effects of two different types of cytokinins: N(6)-benzyladenine and N1-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N2-phenylurea on RNA synthesis in isolated nuclei. Treatment of cotyledons with both cytokinins resulted in a rapid enhancement of nuclear RNA-polymerase-I activity (EC 2.7.7.6). Maximum stimulation of RNA polymerase I, responsible for rRNA synthesis, was observed 4-6 h after the start of cytokinin action. The activity of RNA polymerase II was stimulated much more slowly and to a lesser extent. Uridine 5'-monophosphate-uridine analysis of the alkalidigested nascent pre-rRNA chains showed that the stimulation of RNA-polymerase-I activity was the consequence of an increase of the polyribonucleotide-clongation rate. No significant change in the number of transcribing enzyme molecules was defected after hormone treatment (86·10(3) RNA-polymerase-I molecules per diploid genome).Indications that de-novo protein synthesis is necessary for cytokinin-mediated RNA-polymerase stimulation were derived from experiments showing inhibition by cycloheximide.

Benzyladenine modulation of the expression of two genes for nuclear-encoded chloroplast proteins in Lemna gibba: Apparent post-transcriptional regulation

Cytokinins and phytochrome have both been reported to promote chloroplast development, and possible interactions between the two have been suggested. We have examined the effects of red light (R) and a cytokinin, benzyladenine (N(6)-benzylaminopurine; BA), on the levels of four mRNAs coding for chloroplast proteins in Lemna gibba L. The amounts of hybridizable RNA coding for both the major chlorophyll a/b-binding protein and for the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase decrease to a low level when white-light-grown L. gibba plants are placed in the dark. We have previously shown that a subsequent R treatment causes a several-fold increase in the levels of these two messages, and this increase is phytochrome-mediated. We have now found that addition of submicromolar concentrations of BA to plants kept in total darkness also results in an increase in levels of these two mRNAs. Furthermore, BA treatment magnifies the extent of the response to R treatment. However, the levels of mRNAs encoding the large subunit of RuBP carboxylase and the 32-kDa herbicide-binding protein, which are both chloroplastsynthesized messages, are not significantly altered by either R or BA treatment during the same time period. The relative amount of β-actin mRNA, a nuclear-encoded message for a cytoplasmic protein, is also not altered either by R or BA treatment. Thus, BA treatment does not simply alter the proportion of mRNA to total RNA. This conclusion is also supported by the observation that levels of mRNA hybridizing to a sequence abundant in dark-treated plants are not altered by BA treatment. The amplification by BA of the R-induced increase in the level of chlorophyll a/b-binding protein mRNA, consistently seen in total RNA, is not observed in RNA isolated from nuclei from plants receiving the same treatments. We therefore suggest that cytokinin is regulating expression of this message at a post-transcriptional level, possibly by affecting the stability of the RNA.