Effect of polyamines and polyamine precursors on hyperhydricity in micropropagated apple shoots

摘要

Hyperhydricity is a physiological disorder affecting tissue-culture-generated plants. It is associated with excessive hydration and poor lignification. The effects of exogenous polyamines (spermidine and putrescine) and polyamine precursors (arginine and ornithine) were studied on 'Jonagold' apple shoots subjected to hyperhydric conditions for one in vitro multiplication cycle (28 days) on a culture medium containing gelrite as gelling agent. Supplementation of the gelrite-containing medium with 10(-5) M spermidine, ornithine, or arginine reduced the percentage of hyperhydricity by at least 50 %. Exogenous supplementation with spermidine or a polyamine precursor also caused total phenolics and the antioxidant capacity (measured by ORAC and DPPH assays) to decrease in shoots during the first 2 weeks. These results suggest an important role of spermidine and its precursor ornithine in countering hyperhydricity. Supplementation could help to maintain high endogenous levels of polyamines and phenolamides necessary for cell osmoregulation, antioxidant protection, cell wall cross-linking, and plant growth regulation.