Influence of putrescine, silver nitrate and polyamine inhibitors on the morphogenetic response in untransformed and transformed tissues of Cichorium intybus and their regenerants

The addition of 40 mM putrescine (Put) to Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium resulted in increased shoot multiplication and shoot growth in untransformed plants relative to transformed plants of Cichorium intybus L. Put at a concentration of 40 mM also resulted in flowering in both systems on the 28th day, with elevated titers of endogenous conjugated Put and spermine (Spm) in both untransformed and transformed plants. The addition of 40 μM AgNO3 to untransformed axillary buds of C. intybus L. cultured on MS media resulted in increased shoot multiplication (36.9±2.63 shoots per culture) and increased shoot growth (7.82±0.76cm) as compared to transformed ones (11.6±0.89 shoots per culture; 3.20±0.24cm). Moreover, cultures treated with 40 μM AgNO3 showed in vitro flowering on the 28th day in both systems, with the endogenous levels of conjugated spermine being higher in untransformed plants than in transformed ones. The morphogenetic response and the endogenous conjugated pool of polyamines were lower following αDL-difluromethylarginine and α-DL-difluromethylornithine treatments; the addition of put (40 mM) and AgNO3 (40 μM)restored these to normal levels. Under exogenous put feeding, ethylene production was lower in both the untransformed and transformed cultures. We believe that an interplay between polyamine and ethylene biosynthesis is involved in regulating the morphogenetic response in both transformed and untransformed shoots of C. intybus. The response to AgNO3 and Put treatment was not altered by the transformation process.