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Articles

Abscission of Phaseolus and Impatiens Explants

Effects of Ionizing Radiation upon Endogenous Growth Regulators and de Novo Enzyme Synthesis ¹

^a Department of Botany, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59801

Stem-petiole explants from the lower pulvinus of the primary leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Red Kidney and from Impatiens sultani Hook cv. Scarlet Baby were exposed to varying dosages of -radiation. With bean, irradiation of 175 to 525 kiloroentgens (kR) significantly accelerated the onset of abscission with a maximum response at 175 to 280 kR. Higher dosages (beginning at 600-700 kR) usually prevented abscission. With Impatiens, 18 to 35 kR significantly accelerated both the onset of abscission and possibly the initial abscission rate; 350 kR cut the time to 100% abscission in half and substantially accelerated the initial abscission rate. Inhibition of abscission in Impatiens was not possible with the available dose rate (35 kR/hour).

The accelerating effect of ionizing radiation was apparently due to primarily a reduction in auxin activity, thus accelerating the shift from the relatively ethylene-insensitive stage I to the ethylene-sensitive stage II. In vitro irradiation of exogenous auxin in agar substantially reduced the abscission-delaying effects of the auxin. The low dosage accelerating effects of the ionizing radiation were negated by exogenous auxin application, either prior to or following irradiation. With prior auxin application, a higher concentration of auxin was required to achieve the same delaying effects as with application following irradiation. Apparently due to this reduction in auxin activity, irradiation hastened sensitivity to exogenous ethylene.

The accelerating effects of ionizing radiation may be secondarily due to increased levels of endogenous ethylene. With bean tissues, exposures of 262 through 1500 kR of radiation increased the measurable levels of endogenous ethylene released into the ambient air within 2 or 3 days after irradiation.

The results of actinomycin D treatment suggested that required de novo RNA synthesis occurred about 4 hours earlier in those Impatiens explants that had received 105 kR radiation than in the nonirradiated controls.

An increased mobilization of Ca from the abscission zone may be a contributing factor in the radiation-induced acceleration of abscission. For both bean and Impatiens, exogenous Ca inhibited abscission of irradiated and nonirradiated explants. In addition, a more concentrated Ca solution was required to inhibit abscission of irradiated bean explants, as compared to the nonirradiated controls.

¹ This work was supported by a National Defense Education Act predoctoral fellowship and by the Department of Botany, University of Montana, and was submitted in partial fulfillment of the Ph.D. degree.