The roles of the different cytokinin structures are discussed in relation to our knowledge of their biological activities, endogenous occurrence and metabolism.

Nitrate consumption, nitrite production and nitrite loss were followed in the"in vitro" nitrate reductase (NR) assay mixtures with pea root extracts, and nitrite production in the "in vitro" NR assay was compared with anaerobic nitrite production in the "in vivo" assay with pea root segments. NR activity could not be reliably determined on the basis of nitrate consumption using three methods of NO₃-determination (salicylate, cadmium, enzymatic). NR activity based on nitrite determination was slightly underestimated due to nitrite loss (less than 10% with pea root extracts) in the assay mixture. Nitrite production in the "in vivo" NR assay under optimum conditions closely resembled nitrite production in the "in vitro" NR assay and thus reflected NR level in the tissue.

Growth regulators participate in the differentiation of floral parts, determining the developmental path of the respective type of inflorescence. The effect depends on the expression of the peculiarities of floral part differentiation, the recognition of the character of endogenous substances in certain stages and the choice of the suitable regulator for application. In the primitive flower ofPapaver petals and stamens are formed from the peripheral meristem with a lower content of auxins and a higher level of gibberellic substances. The pistil arises later from central tissues with a higher level of auxins and inhibitory substances. The stamens are more sensitive to the higher level of auxin substances, and by a suitable application of GA₃ and BAP they can be transformed into petals; in this way double flower forms arise. In the differentiation of floral parts ofCampanula, Rosa andMelandrium similar regularities assert themselves in time successions, but in another spatial arrangement. Sex differentiation of diclinous flowers ofMelandrium is based on differences in heterochromosomes XY and XX. The rise of the zygomorphic flower ofVeronica is accompanied by a different distribution of endogenous substances which affect the development of petals, stamens and the pistil.
The differentiation of flowers in the racemose inflorescence occurs in the acropetal succession, and lateral primordia inCampanula develop into actinomorphic regular flowers, whereas inDigitalis they are zygomorphic and only the terminal flower is peloric. In the initial phases the staminate tassel and the pistillate ear in maize are identical. Earlier differentiation of the terminal pistillate tassel is connected with a higher level of gibberellins and the later development of the lateral pistillate ear is accompanied by the increase in auxin-like substances and inhibitions. Similar correlations were found in the development of staminate catkins and the differentiation of pistillate flowers in terminal buds ofJuglans regia. By the application of auxin-like substances it is possible to achieve the transformation of primordia of the staminate tassel into the pistillate ear in maize or to regulate the number of staminate catkins and pistillate flowers on twigs of the walnut tree. In the capitulum of the sunflower differences arise between peripheral pistillate ray flowers and hermaphrodite tubular ones. By applying GA₃ and BAP the number of ray flowers is increased. If the normal course of inflorescence differentiation is affected with a suitable type of regulator, a range of floral abnormalities appears which permit to assess the intervention in different developmental stages and the reaction of the primordium to the applied type of regulator. Abnormalities also suggest some phylogenetic correlations.

With increasing altitude, the concentrations of chlorophyll (chl), carotenoids and phenolics decreased but the chla :b ratio increased in the fourArtemisia species grown at four altitudes. The increase in chla : b ratio was due to a reduction in chlb content. The changes in anthocyanin content were irregular. Thus phenolics and anthocyanin pools may be differently regulated along an altitudinal gradient.

Two photooxidation products of indol-3-ylacetic acid (IAA), 3-hydroxymethyl oxindole (HMO) and 3-methylene oxindole (Meox) were almost as effective as IAA in stimulation of growth of oat (Avena saliva cv. Kent) coleoptile sections. The IAA failed to give stimulation of growth after pretreatment of the coleoptiles with chemicals inhibiting oxidation of IAA, but the growth promoting effects of HMO or Meox remained unaffected by such pretreatment. After pretreatment with the chemicals which can form an adduct with Meox, the growth promoting activities of IAA, HMO or Meox were lost showing the involvement of the oxindole pathway of IAA metabolism in IAA action. Time-course experiments also showed that the stimulatory effects of HMO and Meox were the same as IAA.

Acid-soluble phosphate esters were determined in extracts of plant material after a 24 h exposure of the roots of intact alfalfa plants to nutrient media labelled with³²P_i. Similar phosphate ester patterns were found in 2-, 3-, 8-, and 9-week-old plants with the exception of Gra-P which could be detected only in shoot extracts. However, phosphate ester levels differed in the shoots and roots. Whereas Fru-P₂, Glc-6-P, Fru-6-P, and adenine nucleotides were more abundant in the shoots, Grn-P and P-choline levels were higher in the roots. Certain differences in the levels of P-esters were also recorded between plants susceptible and resistant to bacterial wilt.

The contents of NADP⁺, NADPH, changes in the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and some questions relating to its regulation in leaf tissues of tobacco plants infected with PVY were studied. The content of NADP⁺ and the total sum of pyridine nucleotides decreased after inoculation to 15 % and 30 %, respectively, whereas the content of NADPH increased up to the threefold control value. The contents of NADP⁺, NADPH and Σ(NADPH + NADP⁺) linearly correlated with the reproduction curve of PVY. The value of the reduction charge RC and the value of the ratio NADPH/NADP⁺ sharply increased after inoculation up to tenfold and eighteenfold values, respectively, of the healthy control.
The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was markedly increased in virus-infected tissues during the entire experimental period both in crude homogenate and after its partial purification when compared with the values found in healthy control plants. The time courses of the activity curves of both crude and partially purified enzymes were coincident and correlated with the reproduction curve of PVY. The results indicate the involvement of coarse regulation of the activity of the enzyme by its content without the involvement of fine regulation by the ratio NADPH/NADP⁺ and RC.

The content of spinach-leaf cells was compartmented by differential centrifugation. Three fractions were obtained,i.e. chloroplasts, pellet of remaining organelles sedimenting at 97 000g and cytosol. Enzyme activities of L-tryptophan aminotransferase (TAT) as well as L-tryptophan dehydrogenase (TDH) were demonstrated in all cell fractions. The highest activities of both enzymes were found in the pellet of organelles followed by the enzyme activities in the chloroplasts. The cytosol had the lowest enzyme activities. Chloroplasts are characterized by a relatively higher TDH activity, organelles sedimenting at 97 000g were marked by a relatively higher TAT activity. In all fractions both pyridine nucleotide coenzymes catalyzed the TDH activity. Ca²⁺ in a concentration of 0.8 minol l^-1 increased markedly the TDH activity in both directions of its activity.

Gibberellins A₃ and A₁₃ cause floral induction inImpatiens balsamina, a qualitative short day plant, under non-inductive 24-h photoperiods (continuous illumination). However, the influence of the two inductive factors,i.e. gibberellins and short days (8-h photoperiods) on the peroxidase enzyme system is different. The total peroxidase activity decreases under both inductive and non-inductive photoperiods, with or without gibberellin treatment. The electrophoretic pattern of isoperoxidases changes only in response to gibberellin treatment. Under 24-h photoperiods, treatment with gibberellins A₃ and A₁₃ causes the appearance in the stem of three additional isoenzymes of peroxidase (Rm 0.50, 0.71 and 0.76). These bands do not appear in the leaves, which are non-essential for gibberellin-caused floral induction in this plant. Under 8-h photoperiods also, gibberellins induce the appearance of new isoenzyme bandsi.e. two in the stem (Rm 0.50 and 0.76) and one in the leaves (Rm 0.05). These may be correlated with the synergistic increase in the number of floral buds in these plants in response to simultaneous exposure to two inductive factors.

InArabidopsis thaliana the relative measure of Darwinian fitness - the adaptive values of the two homozygotes related to the reference heterozygous genotype in one locus system were estimated on the original and on three changed genetic backgrounds. It was stated that the change of the genetic background with different gene-modifiers of the pleiotropic effect of a given gene on fitness may be important for the existence of mutations in populations, especially if we take into consideration not only the selection pressure against the homozygotes but also a certain real percentage of outcrossing. Special attention is paid to statistical elaboration of the experimental data.

On the basis of proportionality between flow and its conjugated force a mathematical model for volume, current and osmotic flows was designed and a method for the experimental measurement of flows, the transbarrier (trans-segmental) potential and the rate of flow was devised.
The results obtained experimentally as well as using the mathematical model indicate that the plant root is differentiated not only according to localization, but also according to the conductivity, permeability and selectivity of these tissues.

XAD-4 resin was used to isolate cytokinins present in Baltic sea water. Four compounds were tentatively identified as 6-(3-methylbut-2-enylamino) purine and zeatin, and their ribosides.

An analysis of axillary meristem (axillary bud) localization of radish (Raphanus sativus L. cv. Tetra-Iłówiecka) was undertaken on vernalized (flowering) and unvernalized (vegetative) plants. It has been shown that the localization of these meristems can be different on successive nodes of the same plant and is connected with the development stages of the plants. The axillary meristems can arise on the stem as well as in the leaf axil or on the base of the subtending leaf. The localization of axillary meristems has been discussed in relation to growth directions and growth correlations inside the meristematic region of the shoot apex.

The protoplasts of the moss Anoectangium thomsonii, isolated from protonemal cells underwent divisions in 48-72 hours on modified MS medium enriched with growth regulators, 2,4-D and kinetin, 10 % sucrose and coconut water (5 %). Subculture of protoplast derived cells in a medium of relatively low osmotic potential (5 % sucrose) produced dark green calli which could be maintained completely undifferentiated.

The chemical and stereochemical properties of phytotropins are described in terms of a receptor model, based on their ability to bind to a receptor isolated from maize coleoptiles. Their root gravitropic properties are correlated with their ability to bind to the receptor. It is suggested that their ability to inhibit auxin transport, without more, may not be enough to explain their physiological effects.

Certain cultivars ofMalus growing at Geneva, New York, USA, begin growth and bloom 2 -3 weeks later than commercial cultivars of apple. Our research suggests that these late bloomers bloom late because they have a very high chilling requirement for bud burst. The chilling requirement interacts with the heat requirement for bud burst in such a way as to result in delayed bud burst and bloom. Abscisic acid (ABA) decreases in the terminal buds of both early and late bloomers during the chilling period, but it decreases more rapidly in the early bloomers. It has not been determined if ABA plays a role in controlling bloom date.

Glass microelectrodes filled with antimony were constructed, the electrical potential of which linearly depends on pH and is not influenced by light. Recording at the surface and in the cytosol (the latter corrected for the transient response of the membrane potential measured with a conventional electrode) showed both intra- and extracellular alkalization brought about by irradiating the algaPithophora pragensis. DIURON (DCMU, 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea) in the concentration 10^-4M almost entirely abolished the photoeffect.

Virus particles of isometric shape with a diameter of 26 nm were found in the sieve tubes and accompanying phloem cells in ultrathin sections prepared from the nerves of white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) leaves and roots infected with the beet mild yellowing virus (BMYV). BMYV particles were much more frequent in the roots ofSinapis alba plants. Isometric particles were not found in the leaves and roots of healthy mustard plants.

The content of ATP, ADP, AMP, P_i, the activity of the enzymes involved in the glycolytic pathway, some problems of their regulation by adenine nucleotides and some basic problems connected with tissue energy balance were studied in tobacco plants infected with the potato virus Y (PVY). The contents of ATP and ΣAdN were increased in virus-infected tissues when compared with healthy tissues and correlated with the PVY reproduction curve. ADP and AMP contents decreased just after the inoculation and increased at the end of the experimental period, P_i content was not influenced by the infection.
The activities of the key enzymes of the glycolytic pathway (6-phosphofructokinase, hexosediphosphatase, and pyruvate kinase), determined both in crude homogenates and after partial purification, did not differ during the entire experimental period from the values found in healthy control tissues, similarly as the activities of glucosephosphate isomerase, glyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoglyceromutase and enolase observed in crude homogenates. The unchanging AEC value in virus-infected tissues simultaneously indicated that no change in the rate of the glycolytic pathway occurred even under "invivo" conditions at the period of the acute stage of infection.