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Arginine decarboxylase and polyamines required for embryogenesis in the wild carrot

R P Feirer, G Mignon, J D Litvay

    Science (New York, N.Y.)
    |March 30, 1984
    PubMed

    Insights

    Polyamines are crucial for wild carrot embryo development. Inhibiting arginine decarboxylase reduced embryogenesis, but adding polyamines restored it, indicating a key role for this pathway.

    Area of Science:

    • Plant Biology
    • Developmental Biology
    • Biochemistry

    Background:

    • Polyamines are essential for cell growth and differentiation.
    • The specific roles of polyamines in plant embryogenesis are not fully understood.
    • Two key enzymes in polyamine biosynthesis are arginine decarboxylase (ADC) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC).

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the role of polyamines in Daucus carota (wild carrot) embryogenesis.
    • To determine which polyamine biosynthetic pathway, ADC or ODC, is primarily involved in carrot embryo formation.

    Main Methods:

    • Embryogenic cultures of Daucus carota were treated with alpha-difluoromethylarginine (DFMA), a specific ADC inhibitor.
    • Cultures were also treated with alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an ODC inhibitor.
    • Putrescine, spermidine, or spermine were added to the culture medium of DFMA-treated cultures.
    • Embryo formation and polyamine concentrations were measured in all treatment groups.

    Main Results:

    • DFMA treatment significantly reduced embryo formation by nearly 50% compared to controls.
    • DFMA treatment led to greatly reduced concentrations of putrescine and spermidine.
    • Supplementation with putrescine, spermidine, or spermine restored embryogenesis in DFMA-treated cultures.
    • DFMO treatment did not significantly affect embryogenesis.

    Conclusions:

    • Polyamines play a major role in plant embryo development in Daucus carota.
    • The primary pathway for polyamine synthesis supporting embryogenesis in wild carrots involves arginine decarboxylase.
    • Inhibition of ADC significantly impairs embryogenesis, highlighting the critical function of polyamines produced via this route.

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