Interactions between abscisic acid and cytokinins during water stress and subsequent rehydration

With the aim to contribute to elucidation of the role of phytohormones in plant responses to stresses the endogenous contents of abscisic acid (ABA) and cytokinins (CK) were followed in French bean, maize, sugar beet, and tobacco during water stress and subsequent rehydration. The effects of pre-treatments with exogenous ABA or benzyladenine (BA) before imposition of water stress were also evaluated. The content of ABA increased by water stress, and with the exception of bean plants increased content of ABA remained also after rehydration. In all plant species the ABA content was further increased by ABA pre-treatment, but in bean and maize it decreased by BA pre-treatment. The highest total content of CK was observed in bean and the lowest in maize during water stress. In their spectrum, the storage CK were dominant in bean, and inactive CK in tobacco while in sugar beet and maize all groups were present in comparable amounts. In all plant species, the contents of CK increased during water stress and with exception of bean they decreased back after rehydration. ABA pre-treatment further increased contents of CK in water-stressed bean and tobacco. BA pre-treatment increased contents of CK in sugar beet and tobacco after rehydration.