The effect of cytokinins on in vitro cultured inbred lines of Raphanus sativus var. radicula Pers. with genetically determined tumorigenesis

The higher plant tumors are convenient models for studying the genetic control mechanism of plant cell division. There are two types of tumors: induced by the pathogenic factor and genetically determined. The development of both tumor types was related to the changes in cytokinin metabolism and/or signal transduction. In this work, the effect of synthetic cytokinins on the in vitro morphogenesis of cotyledon explants and isolated apices of radish seedlings was studied in several inbred radish lines (Raphanus sativus var. radicula Pers.) that differed in their in vivo tumorigenic properties. It was noted that root formation was stronger affected by kinetin while the treatment with thidiazuron tended to induce active callus formation in cotyledon explants of all inbred lines, except IIa. Growing with benzyladenine produced an intermediate effect as regards all morphogenetic responses. Cytokinin treatment of tumorigenic lines enhanced necrotic development in cotyledon explants. Culturing isolated apices of regenerated plants produced tumors anatomically and morphologically similar to those developing in vivo. Some of the lines nontumorigenic in vivo with enhanced formation of calli on cotyledon explants also developed tumors on apical explants in vitro when treated with cytokinins. These data suggest that different mechanisms for tumor formation operate in various radish lines. The radish lines are classified into three types: (1) necrotic lines with tumor formation putatively related to endogenous cytokinin level, (2) callus-forming lines with cell division enhanced in response to cytokinins, and (3) necrosis- and callus-forming lines with both mechanisms of tumor formation involved.