Summary
We investigated abscisic acid (ABA) metabolism among Norway and white spruce somatic embryo cultures which exhibited differences in maturation response when placed on racemic abscisic acid [(±)-ABA]. Differences in metabolic rate among the spruce genotypes could affect the ABA pool available for the maturation process, and might therefore be responsible for the differences in maturation response. The production of cotyledonary (stage 3) somatic embryos in cultures (genotypes) of Norway spruce (PA86:26A and PA88:25B) and of white spruce (WS1F cryoD and WS46) was compared. In each species pair one of the two genotypes failed to show stage 3 embryo development (respectively, PA88:25B and WS46). The investigation of ABA metabolism of each species pair showed that no substantial differences in ABA consumption or in the production of metabolites occurred. In each case ABA was metabolized to phaseic acid and dihydrophaseic acid over the 42-day culture period, metabolites were recoverable from the agar-solidified medium, and the sum of residual ABA and metabolites were equivalent to the ABA initially supplied. The results indicate that the process of ABA metabolism occurs essentially independently of somatic embryo maturation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Attree, S. M.; Tautorus, T. E.; Dunstan, D. I., et al. Somatic embryo maturation, germination, and soil establishment of plants of black and white spruce (Picea mariana andPicea glauca). Can. J. Bot. 68:2583–2589; 1990.
Attree, S. M.; Pomeroy, M. K.; Fowke, L. C. Manipulation of conditions for the culture of somatic embryos of white spruce for improved triacylglycerol biosynthesis and desiccation tolerance. Planta 187:395–404; 1992.
Balsevich, J. J.; Cutler, A. J.; Lamb, N., et al. Response of cultured maize cells to (+)-ABA, (−)-ABA and their metabolites. Plant Physiol. in press; 1994.
Dunstan, D. I.; Bekkaoui, F.; Pilon, M., et al. Effects of abscisic acid and analogues on the maturation of white spruce (Picea glauca) somatic embryos. Plant Sci. 58:77–84; 1988.
Dunstan, D. I.; Bethune, T. D.; Abrams, S. R. Racemic abscisic acid and abscisyl alcohol promote maturation of white spruce (Picea glauca) somatic embryos. Plant Sci. 76:219–228; 1991.
Dunstan, D. I.; Bock, C. A.; Abrams, G. D., et al. Metabolism of (+)- and (−)-abscisic acid by somatic embryo suspension cultures of white spruce. Phytochemistry 31:1451–1454; 1992.
Dunstan, D. I.; Bethune, T. D.; Bock, C. A. Somatic embryo maturation from long-term suspension cultures of white spruce (Picea glauca). In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. 26P:109–112; 1993.
Flinn, B. S.; Roberts, D. R.; Taylor, I. E. P. Evaluation of somatic embryos of interior spruce. Characterization and developmental regulation of storage proteins. Physiol. Plant. 82:624–632; 1991.
Hakman, I. Embryology in Norway spruce (Picea abies). Immunochemical studies on transport of a seed storage protein. Physiol. Plant. 88:427–433; 1993.
Hakman, I.; Fowke, L. C. An embryogenic cell suspension culture ofPicea glauca (white spruce). Plant Cell Rep. 6:20–22; 1987.
Hakman, I.; von Arnold, S. Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from suspension cultures ofPicea glauca (white spruce). Physiol. Plant. 72:579–587, 1988.
Jalonen, P.; von Arnold, S. Characterization of embryogenic cell lines ofPicea abies in relation to their competence for maturation. Plant Cell Rep. 10:384–387; 1991.
Joy, R. W., IV; Yeung, E. C.; Kong, L., et al. Development of white spruce somatic embryos: 1. Storage product deposition. In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. 27P:32–41; 1991.
Krizek, D. T. Guidelines for measuring and reporting environmental conditions in controlled environment studies. Physiol. Plant. 56:231–235; 1982.
Litvay, J. D.; Johnson, M. A.; Verma, D., et al. Conifer suspension culture medium development using analytical data from developing seeds. Institute of Paper Chemistry technical paper series no. 115. Appleton, Wisconsin.
Roberts, D. R.; Flinn, B. S.; Webb, D. T., et al. Abscisic acid and indole-3-butyric acid regulation of maturation and accumulation of storage proteins in somatic embryos of interior spruce. Physiol. Plant. 78:355–360; 1990a.
Roberts, D. R.; Sutton, B. C. S.; Flinn, B. S. Synchronous and high frequency germination of interior spruce somatic embryos following partial drying at high relative humidity. Can. J. Bot. 68:1086–1090; 1990b.
Uknes, S. J.; Ho, T.-H. Mode of action of abscisic acid in barley aleurone layers: abscisic acid induces its own conversion to phaseic acid. Plant Physiol. 75:1126–1132; 1984.
von Arnold, S.; Eriksson, T. In vitro studies of adventitious shoot formation inPinus contorta. Can. J. Bot. 59:870–874; 1981.
von Arnold, S.; Hakman, I. Regulation of somatic embryo development inPicea abies by abscisic acid (ABA). J. Plant. Physiol. 132:164–169; 1988.
Windsor, M. L.; Milborrow, B. V.; Abrams, S. R. Stereochemical requirements of the saturable carrier for abscisic acid in carrot suspension culture cells. J. Exp. Bot. in press; 1994.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
NRCC no. 37345.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dunstan, D.I., Berry, S. & Bock, C.A. ABA consumption in norway spruce (Picea abies) and white spruce (Picea glauca) somatic embryo cultures. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol - Plant 30, 156–159 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02632206
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02632206