Cytokinins and mitotic inhibition in “gamma-plantlets”

Abstract

After irradiation of dry grains with 500 krads of gamma rays, the cytokinin content of wheat seedlings germinating without cell division rose from a barely detectable quantity in the dry grains to an amount similar to that in seedlings from unirradiated controls. The chromatographic mobility of the cytokinins from the two sources suggests that they are identical. Treatment of the “gamma-plantlets” with cytokinins and several combinations of other growth substances failed to induce cell division. It is concluded that accumulation of extractable cytokinins can be uncoupled from cell division and that failure of cell division in gamma-plantlets is not due to a gross deficiency of extractable cytokinins.