Influence of Substrate and Tissue Manganese on the IAA-Oxidase System in Cotton.

Tissue manganese was found to influence the indoleacetic acid (IAA) system of cotton over a wide range of concentrations. The cofactor and inhibitor activities of the IAA-oxidase system were affected as the concentration of manganese in the tissue was varied. Maximum inhibitor activity was found in leaf extracts from the plants grown in 0.5 mg/l manganese (Hoagland's level). The inhibitor activity decreased in the leaf extracts of plants grown at concentrations of manganese either higher or lower than 0.5 mg/l. Abnormally high IAA-oxidase activity was found in the leaves of plants grown in deficient levels of manganese (<0.0005, 0.005 mg/l) and the extracts from plants in the <0.0005 mg/l Mn treatment showed IAA-oxidase cofactor activity.