Polyamines in somatic embryogenesis in carrot (Daucus carota L.)

Abstract

The polyamines, putrescine (Put), Spermidine (Spd) and Spermine (Spm) are widely present in nature, performing an important role in various cellular events. Considering that polyamines take part of the embryogenic process, it is important to know the bases for these alterations in the metabolism. The objective of the present study was to observe the contents of polyamines during the different phases of somatic embryogenesis of carrot. Analyses were carried out, according to a modification of the method developed by Flores & Galston every 96 hours during 50 days from the culture of cell suspensions. The cells were provided from callus and inoculated in Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium which had been modified and added with 0.2 mg/l of 2,4-D and 0.1 mg/l of Idnetin during the first 14 days, whereas for the other days, they were kept in MS medium deprived of phytoregulators. The contents of polyamines varied during all the embryogenic process, when putrescine showed the most accumulated. These results suggest that the levels of Spermidine and spermine are reduced in relation to putrescine due to the intense use of Spd and Spm in the process of cell division and differentiation, whereas Put seems to have only the function of synthetizing the other two amines.