Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Diphenylurea Derivatives Induce Somatic Embryogenesis in Citrus

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present research investigates the possibility that three diphenylurea (DPU) derivatives, N-phenyl-N′-benzothiazol-6-ylurea (PBU), N,N′-bis-(2,3-methilendioxyphenyl)urea (2,3-MDPU) and N,N′-bis-(3,4-methilendioxyphenyl)urea (3,4-MDPU), stimulate the induction of somatic embryogenesis in three Citrus species. The hypothetical embryogenic activity was assessed using stigma and styles of Citrus myrtifolia Raf., Citrus madurensis Lour. and Citrus limon (L.) Burm. The three compounds influenced the production of somatic embryos differently as regards the concentrations tested and the citrus species. PBU was able to induce somatic embryogenesis at all the concentrations tested and in all the three species with percentages that ranged from 44 (C. limon) to 85% (C. myrtifolia). 2,3-MDPU and 3,4-MDPU were completely unable to induce the production of somatic embryos in C. myrtifolia while both the compounds at the higher concentration (12 µM) acted positively in both C. madurensis and C. limon (68% of embryogenic explants). The phenylurea derivatives, used for the first time in this study to induce somatic embryogenesis in plant, showed a higher embriogenic performance when compared with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), a classical adenine-cytokinin, and with N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N′-phenylurea (CPPU), a classical DPU derivative.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

BAP:

6-benzylaminopurine

CPPU:

N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N′-phenylurea

2,3-MDPU:

N,N′-bis-(2,3-methilendioxyphenyl)urea

3,4-MDPU:

N,N′-bis-(3,4-methilendioxyphenyl)urea

PBU:

N-phenyl-N′-benzothiazol-6-ylurea

TDZ:

N-phenyl-N′-1,2,3-thidiazol-5-urea

References

  • Bilyeu KD, Cole JL, Ladkey JG, Riekhof WR, Eparza TJ, Kramer DM, Morris RO (2001) Molecular and biochemical characterization of a cytokinin oxidase from maize. Plant Physiol 125:378–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Burch LR, Horgan R (1989) The purification of cytokinin oxidase from Zea mays kernels. Phytochemistry 28:1313–1319

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carimi F, De Pasquale F, Crescimanno FG (1995) Somatic embryogenesis in Citrus from style culture. Plant Sci 105:81–86

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carimi F, De Pasquale F, Crescimanno FG (1999) Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from pistil thin cell layers of Citrus. Plant Cell Rep 18:935–940

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carimi F, Zottini M, Formentin E, Terzi M, Lo Schiavo F (2003) Cytokinins: new apoptotic inducers in plants. Planta 216:413–421

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunnet CW (1955) A multiple comparison procedure for comparing several treatments with a control. J Am Stat Assoc 50:1096–1121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiore S, De Pasquale F, Carimi F, Sajeva M (2002) Effect of 2,4-D and 4-CPPU on somatic embryogenesis from stigma and style transverse cell layers of Citrus. Plant Cell Tiss Org Cult 68:57–63

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gaj MD (2004) Factors influencing somantic embryogenesis induction and plant regeneration with particular reference to Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Plant Growth Regul 43:27–47

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gahan PB, Wang L, Bowen ID, Winters C (2003) Cytokinin-induced apoptotic nuclear changes in cotyledons of Solanum aviculare and Lycopersicon esculentum. Plant Cell Tiss Org Cult 72:237–245

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gribaudo I, Fronda A (1991) Effcts of thidiazuron on grape vine axillary buds cultured in vitro. Hort Sci 26:1083–1086

    Google Scholar 

  • Hare PD, van Staden J (1997) The molecular basis of cytokinin action. Plant Growth Regul 23:41–78

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ishii Y, Hori Y, Honma Y (2002) Control of differentiation and apoptosis of human myeloid leukemia cells by cytokinins and cytokinin nucleosides, plant redifferentiation-inducing hormones. Cell Growth Differ 13:19–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones RJ, Schreiber BMN (1997) Role and function of cytokinin oxidase in plants. Plant Growth Regul 23:123–134

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kapchina-Toteva V, van Telgen HJ, Yakimova E (2000) Role of phenylurea cytokinin CPPU in apical dominance release in in vitro cultured Rosa hybrida L. J Plant Growth Regul 19:232–237

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miller CO, Skoog F, von Saltza MH, Strong FM (1955) Kinetin, a cell division factor form deoxyribonucleic acid. J Am Chem Soc 76:60–73

    Google Scholar 

  • Mok MC, Mok DWS, Turner JE, Mu-jer CV (1987) Biological and biochemical effects of cytokinin-active phenylurea derivative in tissue culture systems. HortScience 22:1194–1197

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mok MC (1994) Cytokinin and plant development: an overview. In: Mok DWS, Mok MC (eds) Cytokinins: chemistry, activity and function. CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA, pp155–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Mok MC, Mok DWS, Dixon SC, Armstrong DJ, Shaw G (1982) Cytokinin structure-activity relationships and the metabolism of N6-(Δ2-isopentenyl)-adenosine-8-l4C in Phaseolus callus tissues. Plant Physiol 70:173–178

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murashige T, Skoog F (1962) A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassay with tobacco tissue culture. Physiol Plant 15:473–497

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murthy BNS, Murch SJ, Saxena PK (1995) Thidiazuron a potent regulator of in vitro plant morphogenesis. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Plant 34:268–276

    Google Scholar 

  • Nanda RM, Rout GR (2003) In vitro somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in Acacia arabica. Plant Cell Tiss Org Cult 73:131–135

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Niewkera J, Zimmermann R, Fordham I (1986) Thidiazuron stimulation of apple shoot proliferation in vitro. Hort Sci 21:516–518

    Google Scholar 

  • Ricci A, Carra A, Rolli E, Bertoletti C, Branca C (2003) N,N’-bis-(2,3-methylenedioxyphenyl)urea and N,N’-bis-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)urea interact with auxin in enhancing root formation of M26 apple (Malus pumila Mill.) stem slices. Plant Growth Regul 40:207–212

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ricci A, Carra A, Torelli A, Maggiali CA, Vicini P, Zani F, Branca C (2001a) Cytokinin-like activity of N’-substituted N-phenylureas. Plant Growth Regul 34:167–172

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ricci A, Carra A, Torelli A, Maggiali CC, Morini G, Branca C (2001b) Cytokinin-activity of N,N’-diphenylureas. N,N’-bis-(2,3-methylenedioxyphenyl)urea and N,N’-bis-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)urea enhance adventitious root formation in apple rootstock M26 (Malus pumila Mill.). Plant Sci 160:1055–1065

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmitz RY, Skoog F (1970) The use of dimethylsulfoxide as a solvent in the tobacco bioassay for cytokinins. Plant Physiol 45:537–538

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shantz EM, Steward FC (1955) The identification of compound A from coconut milk as 1,3-diphenylurea. J Am Chem Soc 74:6133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw G (1994) Chemistry of adenine cytokinins. In: Mok DWS, Mok MC (eds) Cytokinins: chemistry, activity and function. CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA, pp 15–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Shudo K (1994) Chemistry of diphenylurea cytokinins. In: Mok DWS, Mok MC (eds) Cytokinins: chemistry, activity and function. CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA, pp. 35–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Victor JMR, Murthy BNS, Murch SJ, KrishnaRaj S, Saxena PK (1999) Role of endogenous purine metabolism in thidiazuron-induced somatic embryogenesis of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Plant Growth Regul 28:41–47

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Visser C, Qureshi JA, Gill R, Saxena PK (1992) Morphoregulatory role of thidiazuron. Plant Physiol 99:1704–1707

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Werner T, Motyka V, Laucou V, Smets R, Van Onckelen H, Schmulling T (2003) Cytokinin-deficient transgenic Arabidopsis plants show multiple developmental alterations indicating opposite functions of cytokinins in the regulation of shoot and root meristem activity. Plant Cell 15:2532–2550

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang SH, Yu H, Goh CJ (2003) Functional characterisation of a cytokinin oxidase gene DSCKX1 in Dendrobium orchid. Plant Mol Biol 51:273–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The research was supported by ``Risorse Genetiche Vegetali – Sicilia - Coltura in vitro per la conservazione del germoplasma vegetale siciliano minacciato da erosione genetica'' project of the regione Siciliana, Assessorato Agricoltura e Foreste

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto di Genetica Vegetale, CNR, Corso Calatafimi 414, I-90100, Palermo, Italy

    Angela Carra, Fabio De Pasquale & Francesco Carimi

  2. Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva e Funzionale, Universita di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, I-43100, Parma, Italy

    Ada Ricci

Authors
  1. Angela Carra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fabio De Pasquale
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ada Ricci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Francesco Carimi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francesco Carimi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Carra, A., De Pasquale, F., Ricci, A. et al. Diphenylurea Derivatives Induce Somatic Embryogenesis in Citrus . Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 87, 41–48 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-006-9132-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-006-9132-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation