Endogenous auxin profile in the Christmas rose (Helleborus niger L.) flower and fruit: Free and amide conjugated IAA

摘要

The reproductive development of the Christmas rose (Helleborus niger L.) is characterized by an uncommon feature in the world of flowering plants: after fertilization the white perianth becomes green, photosynthetically active and persists during fruit development. In the flowers in which fertilization was prevented by emasculation (unfertilized) or entire reproductive organs were removed (depistillated), the elongation of the peduncle was reduced by 20 to 30%, and vascular development, particularly lignin deposition in sclerenchyma was arrested. Chlorophyll accumulation in sepals and their photosynthetic efficacy was up to 80% lower in comparison to fertilized flowers. Endogenous auxins were investigated in floral and fruit tissues and their potential roles in these processes were discussed. Analytical data of free indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), indole-3-ethanol (IEt), and seven amino acid conjugates were afforded by LC-MS/MS in floral tissues of fertilized as well as unfertilized and depistillated flowers. Among amino acid conjugates novel ones with Val, Gly, and Phe, were identified and quantified in the anthers, and in the fruit during development. Reproductive organs before fertilization, followed by developing fruit at post-anthesis were the main source of auxin. Tissues of unfertilized and depistillated flowers accumulated significantly lower level of auxin. Upon depistillation, auxin content in the peduncle and sepal was decreased to 4% and 45%, respectively, in comparison to fruit-bearing flowers. This study suggests that auxin arising in developing fruit may participate, in part, in coordination of the Christmas rose peduncle elongation and its vascular development.