The changes in ubiquitin mRNA level in intact plants of both susceptible (cv. Spunta) and partially resistant (cv. Pampeana-INTA) potato cultivars after inoculation with low doses (l0³ sporangia cm^-3) ofPhytophthora infestons were studied after 72 h of treatment. Inoculation leads to 5-fold accumulation of potato ubiquitin transcripts in both cultivars. This result supports the connection between ubiquitin expression and defense reaction in plants.

Dynamics of CO₂ evolution at low pressure was studied in barley, maize, pea, wheat and pine seedlings using the gas exchange system with laser photoacoustic spectrometer. The CO₂ evolution from plant surfaces to environment increased with decreasing air pressure. Simultaneously the changes in activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase, alcohol-dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase in pea and maize leaves were observed. The response depended on plant species used as well as on air pressure and period of its action

Regenerants were produced from axillary buds, but not from petiole segments, greenwood cuttings and leaf discs. Petiole segments and greenwood cuttings responded by massive callus cell proliferation without adventitious shoot formation. The development of induced buds into shoots occurred on WPM medium containing kinetin. Vigorous shoots larger than 2.0 cm in length were successfully rooted in half strength WPM medium supplemented with 1.0 mg dm^-3 indole-3-butyric acid.

Responses of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to various concentrations of NaCl and levels of drought were followed. With the rise of NaCl or drought, or NaCl and drought together, growth was retarded. The water content of shoots and roots was mostly unchanged. The chlorophyll and carotenoid contents were increased in plants subjected to salinity or drought or both. Only high salinity level induced a considerable decrease in net photosynthetic rate (P_N) and dark respiration rate (R_D). P_N and R_D were decreased with the decrease of soil moisture content. The content of Na⁺ in the shoots and roots of wheat plants increased with increasing salinity or decreasing soil moisture content or both treatments. Considerable variations in the content of K⁺, Ca²⁺ or Mg²⁺ were induced by the NaCl, drought or both treatments.

Root excision fromTriticum vulgare L. var.muticum seedlings induced a membrane potential drop, homeostasis disturbances, and loss of absorbing capacity in roots. During subsequent 3 - 4 h incubation the initial physiological properties of the roots were restored. At that period K⁺absorption could be blocked by tetraethylammonium (TEA) without changing pH of the incubation medium. After 5 - 6 h of incubation the membrane hyperpolarization and the enhancement of the absorbing capacity were observed. At that period K⁺ influx, at presence or absence of valinomycin in incubation medium, was coupled with acidification of the external medium and was not blocked by TEA.

The effect of NaCI stress on the activities of nitrate reductase (NR), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) in callus lines ofVigna radiata which differ in salt resistance, was studied at weekly intervals upto 28 d of growth. After 28 d, the NaCI resistant callus (selected at 300 mM NaCI) at NaCI concentrations higher than 200 mM maintained higher NR activity than non-selected line. NaCI stress also affects aminating and deaminating activities of GDH. The NADH-GDH activity in the presence of NaCI was higher in the resistant than non-selected line. On the other hand, NAD-GDH activity in both the lines was completely inhibited after 7 d of growth. The increased activity of NADH-GDH in resistant calli may play a vital role in protecting the cells from toxic effect of increased endogenous level of ammonia which probably accumulates due to efficient NO₃ ^- reduction. NADH-GOGAT activity was found to decrease under salt stress in both the callus lines. Nitrogen assimilation in salt-resistant calli under salt stress was found to be characterized by high NR and NADH-GDH activities, concomitantly with low GOGAT activity.

Copper caused bleaching of phycocyanin changing the pigment-protein interaction. On cadmium treatment the energy was not efficiently transferred to photosystem (PS) 2 and a spillover of energy occurred to PS1. Thallium treatment induced a general decrease in absorption and fluorescence of chlorophyll and phycobilisomes, whileAnacystis was resistant to lead.

The treatment ofLemna minor L. plants with Pb(NO₃)₂ for 90 min, 8 and 24 h resulted in intensified deposition of (l,3)-P-glucan (callose) in plants roots. It was localized in the protodermis of the root tip, and in the center of the stele in the region at the proximal part of the root cap and slightly above

An investigation was carried out on chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cv. C-235 inoculated withRhizobium sp.Cicer strain cv 4 Az^r. Nodule functioning was monitored at 15 d intervals starting from 45 days after sowing (DAS) and inoculation in order to study nodule development and senescence under natural and stress conditions (dark treatments of 18 and 66 h). Maximum rate of N₂-fixation was observed between 50 - 60 DAS. After this acetylene reducing activity (ARA) fell and it was negligible 75 DAS. This decline in ARA with ageing of plants and nodules was accompanied by a decline in leghemoglobin content and greening of the nodules. When 60 % of the nodule tissue had turned green 75 DAS, a sharp increase in nodule peroxidase activity (3.7 fold) was observed whereas the catalase activity was reduced by 50 % in comparison with the control. The glutathione-reductase and ascorbate-peroxidase activity followed a trend parallel to that in N₂-fixation, but the variation was much smaller. The changes in the total soluble carbohydrates, cytosolic proteins and nitrogen content per se were not expressive. Dark treatments induced premature senescence of the nodules as was evident from the marked decrease in ARA. However, the decline in leghemoglobin content was relatively small as compared to ARA. The changes in cytosolic proteins, total soluble carbohydrates, peroxidase activity, catalase activity, glutathione reductase activity and ascorbate peroxidase activity of nodules under dark-induced nodule senescence were almost parallel to those observed under natural senescence.

The effect of irradiance on the ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence (F_v/F_m) and on the anthocyanin content of chilled (0.5 °C) young maize plants was investigated after returning the plants to a non-chilling temperature (25 °C). Compared to control plants grown throughout at 25 °C in the light, the F_v/F_m hardly changed during chilling or when returned to a non-chilling temperature in the dark, but there was a decrease in this parameter if the plants were shifted to the light after the cold treatment. Similarly, compared to the control plants there was no change in the anthocyanin content either at low temperature or after transfer to 25 °C in the dark. However, there was a sudden increase in the anthocyanin level after returning the plants from dark cold conditions to a non-chilling temperature in the light.

Dry mater, water content, water, osmotic and pressure potentials, content of saccharides and potassium were measured duringin vitro cultivation ofVitis rootstocks. Three cases were compared: a) the micro-cuttings with normal growth; b) micro-cuttings which stop their growth after 15 d of culture, and c) micro-cuttings reactivated by 6 d of continuous darkness.
Major differences were observed in water content and osmotic potential. The stopping of growth was not a specific property of buds, but was probably due to restriction of translocation of saccharides and water in the shoot.

Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) counteracted several processes that are promoted or inhibited by auxins or inhibitors of polar auxin transport: inhibition of asymmetric gene expression in carrot, stimulation of gametic embryogenesis inBrassica, inhibition of root elongation in tobacco, inhibition of the development of lateral roots in pea and adventitious roots in apple, and inhibition of floral bud formation inArabidopsis

Five cultivars ofOenothera biennis have been tested for callogenesis and organogenesis on different media. The cultivar CV3 has been transformed byAgrobacterium tumefaciens strain which introduces into the plant genome kanamycin resistance gene and the T-DNAipt gene which causes increased levels of cytokinins. Transformed tissues showed elevated levels of cytokinins and grew as teratomas forming clumps of short, branched shoots with small modified leaves. Roots appeared rarely in later subcultivations of some teratomous clones.

Exposure of intact cells of theSynechococcus 6301 to UV-B radiation induced a loss in photosystem 2 (PS 2) electron transport activity prior to the alteration in pigment complexes. Thus the degradation of PS 2 was not directly related to pigment alteration.

Seven plant species including three chenopods:Suaeda fruticosa, Kochia indica, Atriplex crassifolia and four grasses:Sporobolus arabicus, Cynodon dactylon, Polypogon monspeliensis, Desmostachya bipinnata, varied greatly in their seed germination and growth responses to soil moisture or salinity. The germination percentage of each species was significantly lower at soil moisture level of 25 % of water holding capacity than at the levels ranging from 50 to 125 %. Increase in salinity resulted in gradual decrease in seed germination of each species. Growth responses of species to salinity varied widely from significant decrease with slight salinity to stimulation up to salinity levels of 20 dS m^-2. Higher K⁺Na⁺ratios in plant shoots of all species compared to that in the root medium indicated selective K⁺uptake. Higher tolerance in chenopod species seems to be attendant on their ability for internal ion regulation.

Sampling of natural cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) populations was carried out on the O Morrazo peninsula in NW Spain, characterized by a strong moisture gradient. The plants were kept in greenhouse under standard conditions. Nevertheless, they differ in height of plants, length and width of flag leaves, panicle size, stomatal density and size as well as in flowering period. The effects of two levels of soil water deficit and two levels of salinity on photosynthetic rate were tested. One population was exceptionally well adapted to its original environment with great tolerance to water deficit and salinity

The striking diversity in the expression pattern of the stress-related anionic peroxidase was observed during development of female cucumber flower. While the isoenzyme Prx3 was accumulated constitutively in the course of flower development, the expression patterns of other two isoenzymes (Prx1 and Prx2) were restricted to the period after flower opening. The virus infection was simulated by careful opening of the intact female flower buds 3 d before anthesis followed by exposition to the glasshouse environment for 3 d. The results obtained in this experiment revealed a marked accumulation of the isoenzyme Prx1 and Prx2 at anthesis. Under normal flower development, the pistils did not accumulate these isoenzymes at this stage. In contrast, the pattern of expression of Prx3 as well as of the pistil-specific peroxidase isoenzyme remained unchanged, confirming a constitutive type of expression. Beside the pistil, a 3-d exposition of the stripped flowers resulted in a marked accumulation of Prx1 and Prx2 isoenzymes also in both adjacent flower organs - the ovary and the pedicel. At the same time of the normal development of female flower these organs did not accumulate these isoenzymes.

Energetic aspects of the relation between transpiration and respiration during the dark period were evaluated. One-year old seedlings of three trees, one bush and one annual plant were grown in controlled conditions. Experiments were performed under uniform environment during the day and two regimes of air relative humidity (RH) during the night, low (50 - 65 %) and high (95 %). For all investigated plant species the dark transpiration rate (E), the free energy of respiratory substrate, the entropy production and the free energy balance (FEB) of the dark respiration were higher at low than at high RH. E was linearly related to the FEBr ² ranged between 0.63 and 0.90)

Laticifers differentiation in callus cultures of Calotropis procera (Asclepiadaceae) as affected by own latex and its fractions incorporated in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium is described. Callus cultures have been maintained on MS medium with 2.3 ΜM 6-furfurylaminopurine (FAP) and 3.0 ΜM 1-naphthylacetic acid (NAA). Marked increase in laticifers differentiation (from 10.1 to 28.4 %) was observed on this medium supplemented with 1 % (v/v) of latex. Latex fractions containing proteins + complex polysaccharides or inorganic salts also increased laticifers differentiation (by 21.8 % and 24.1 %, respectively). Other fractions (free amino acid + saccharides, phenols and terpenes + sterols) had no marked effect on laticifers differentiation while alkaloid fraction inhibited it. Effect of latex on laticifers differentiation was much more profound than the reported optimal concentration of plant growth regulators (4.6 ΜM FAP + 1 ΜM IAA).

In young sugar beet plants cadmium suppressed the activity of nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase and glutamate dehydrogenase, whereas sulphur exhibited a protective role towards activity of these enzymes, except of glutamine synthetase. Protein synthesis was suppressed in the absence of S in nutrient medium; the lowest level was at 10^-3 M Cd²⁺. Chloroplast pigment contents were increased by S while Cd²⁺, even in the lowest concentration, (10^-5 M) showed a repressive effect. The highest concentrations of Cd²⁺ (10-3 M) caused a decrease in dry mass, whereas S induced its increase. Nitrate content was increased in the presence of Cd²⁺ and decreased by increased concentration of S.