BETA-FRUCTOSIDASES AND INVITRO DEDIFFERENTIATION REDIFFERENTIATION OF CARROT CELLS

Marked changes in the activity of acid and alkaline-beta-fructosidases, as well as in their distribution between cell fractions, appear to be intimately related to the process of cell differentiation in carrot tissue cultures. Somatic embryogenesis was characterized by an increase in alkaline-beta-fructosidase and a decrease in the acid enzyme. Non-embryogenic cell lines contrast with embryogenic cell lines in maintaining very high acid-beta-fructosidase activities. The concentration of calcium in the embryogenic culture had a marked effect on embryogenesis. The development of the beta-fructosidases was distinctly influenced by calcium. While the acid-beta-fructosidase production was inhibited by increasing calcium concentrations, either in the presence or absence of auxin, the alkaline enzyme reached the highest activity only in the auxin-free medium and at calcium concentrations already inhibitory to the production of the acid enzyme.