Feruloylputrescine and Caffeoylputrescine Are Not Involved in Growth and Floral Bud Formation of Stem Explants from Nicotiana tabacum L. var Xanthi nc.

The role of feruloylputrescine (FP) and of caffeoylputrescine (CP) was investigated in an explant system of stem explants from day-neutral Nicotiana tabacum L. var Xanthi nc. Previously, a correlation between cortical callus formation and increase in FP content, as well as between in vitro flower formation and increase in CP content had been shown. During the explant growth in vitro, the increase of both FP and CP was inhibited by 4-fluor-(1-amino-2-phenylethyl)phosphonic acid and 2-amino-indene-2-phosphonic acid, both inhibitors of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (EC 4.3.1.5). dl-alpha-difluoromethylarginine, an inhibitor of arginine decarboxylase (ADC, EC 4.1.1.19), prevented only the increase in FP, while dl-alpha-difluoromethylornithine, an inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17), reduced only that of CP. Increase in dry weight and the formation of cortical callus and of floral buds of explants were not affected by any of the inhibitors. We conclude, in contrast to earlier hypotheses, that FP and CP do not trigger growth and differentiation in the explants. It seems more likely that FP and CP increase in response to auxin and cytokinin in the media.