Os hormônios auxina e citocininas são essenciais ao desenvolvimento das plantas, pois controlam os processos de divisão, expansão e diferenciação celular, os quais, por sua vez, influenciam desde a formação do embrião até o amadurecimento dos frutos e senescência. Auxinas e citocininas regulam respostas fisiológicas comuns, sugerindo haver múltiplos mecanismos de interação. Neste trabalho, um modelo para estudar a interação entre auxinas e citocininas no controle do desenvolvimento é proposto, sendo baseado em plantas mutantes e transgênicas, além de duplos mutantes, com alterações na sensibilidade ou metabolismo de auxina e citocinina. O mutante bushy root (brt) foi caracterizado como pouco sensível à citocinina e sugere uma importante função da citocinina no desenvolvimento da semente e na determinação da dominância apical em tomateiro. Os mutantes potato leaf (c) e entire (e) foram introgredidos no background Micro-Tom (MT), caracterizados e utilizados para verificar como eles afetam a sensibilidade à auxina e como interferem no desenvolvimento da planta. Esses mutantes foram comparados com MT, com o mutante diageotropica (dgt), que é pouco sensível à auxina, e com os duplos mutantes c dgt e dgt e. A mutação c não alterou a sensibilidade à auxina e estaria influenciando apenas a arquitetura foliar. O mutante e parece ser mais sensível à auxina com relação à capacidade de formar raízes in vitro e partenocarpia. O duplo mutante dgt e mostrou fenótipo aditivo (intermediário), sugerindo que DGT e E agem em vias paralelas na resposta à auxina. Foram criadas linhagens transgênicas com superexpressão da enzima citocinina oxidase de Arabidopsis (35S:AtCKX2), que resulta em plantas com baixos níveis endógenos de citocinina. As linhagens transgênicas (MT CKX2 e dgt CKX2) foram comparadas com MT, brt, dgt e brt dgt. A maioria dos parâmetros que estavam relacionados com o desenvolvimento vegetativo, e todos os parâmetros relacionados ao desenvolvimento reprodutivo, foram associados ao efeito dos níveis absolutos de auxina e citocinina, sendo provavelmente resultantes de alterações nos processos de divisão e expansão celular. A dominância apical e a morfogênese in vitro (formação de gemas caulinares e raízes) foram associadas ao efeito do balanço auxina/citocinina, sendo esses processos conhecidamente regulados pelo efeito dessas classes hormonais na diferenciação celular / The plant hormones auxin and cytokinin are crucial for plant development, since they control cell division, expansion and differentiation, which regulate developmental processes starting from embryo formation to fruit ripening and senescence. Auxins and cytokinins usually regulate the same physiological responses, suggesting multiple mechanisms of interaction between these hormones. In this work, a model to study auxin and cytokinin interaction in the control of plant development is proposed, based on mutants, transgenic lines and double mutants with alterations on the auxin and cytokinin sensitivity or metabolism. The bushy root (brt) mutant was characterized as having low cytokinin sensitivity and suggested a relevant function to cytokinin in the seed development and apical dominance in tomato. The potato leaf (c) and entire (e) mutants were introgressed in the Micro-Tom background, characterized and used to check how they affect the auxin sensitivity and the plant development. The responses from these mutants were compared to MT and diageotropica (dgt), which is a low sensitive auxin mutant, and also compared to c dgt and dgt e double mutants. The c mutation did not alter the auxin sensitivity and was only related to leaf architecture. The e mutant seemed to be more sensitive to auxin in the in vitro root induction and parthenocarpy. The double mutant dgt e showed an additive phenotype, suggesting that DGT and E act in parallel pathways controlling auxin sensitivity. Transgenic lines were generated overexpressing the cytokinin oxidase from Arabidopsis (35S:AtCKX2), which renders plants with low endogenous cytokinin levels. Transgenic lines (MT CKX2 and dgt CKX2) were compared to MT, brt, dgt and brt dgt. Most of the traits related to vegetative development and all traits related to reproductive development were linked to the effect of auxin and cytokinin absolute levels, probably reflecting to the effect of these hormones in cell division and expansion. Apical dominance and in vitro morphogenesis (shoot and root formation) were linked to the auxin-to-cytokinin ratio, since these processes are well known to be regulated by the effect of these two hormones in cell differentiation

Resumo: Plântulas provenientes da germinação de sementes in vitro da bromélia Aechmea blanchetiana foram cultivadas em meio líquido para o estudo do crescimento sob a influência de diferentes reguladores vegetais. Os tratamentos consistiram da combinação de concentrações (mg L-1) de BAP (0,2), Kt (0,2), NAA (0,1) e IBA (0,1) adicionados aos meios de cultivo líquido MS. As plântulas foram cultivadas sob fotoperíodo de 16 horas e temperatura de 25 ºC ± 2, durante 90 dias e subcultivos a cada 15 dias. O delineamento experimental adotado foi o inteiramente casualizado para todas as variáveis consideradas com 9 tratamentos e 4 repetições, totalizando 36 parcelas, sendo cada parcela composta por 4 plântulas perfazendo um total de 144 plântulas. Foram medidas e analisadas as seguintes características: comprimento da maior folha, número de folhas, número de raízes, comprimento da maior raiz, massa fresca e seca de plântulas e raízes. O BAP promoveu o melhor resultado para as variáveis número de raízes e comprimento da maior raiz. Os tratamentos com NAA e IBA apresentaram o melhor resultado quanto ao comprimento da maior folha, gerando ambos melhores desempenho para a massa de matéria fresca de plântulas / Abstract: Seedlings from in vitro seed germination of the bromeliad Aechmea blanchetiana were cultured in liquid medium to study growth under influence of different plant growth regulators. Treatments were combined concentrations (mg L-1) of BAP (0.2), Kinetin (0.2), NAA (0.1) and IBA (0.1) added to MS liquid culture media. Seedlings were cultured under 16h photoperiod and 25 ºC ± 2 for 90 days and subcultured every 15 days. Experimental design was completely randomized for all variables, with 9 treatments and 4 replicates totaling 36 plots, each one composed of 4 seedlings, 144 in total. Length of the largest leaf, number of leaves, number of roots, length of the largest root, and fresh and dry matter of seedlings and roots were measured and analyzed. BAP led to the best results for number of roots and length of the largest root. Treatments with NAA and IBA led to the best values as to length of the largest leaf, both resulting in higher values of seedling fresh matter / Orientador: Elizabeth Orika Ono / Coorientador: Márcio Christian Serpa Domingues / Banca: João Domingos Rodrigues / Banca: Armando Reis Tavares / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:26:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-02-24Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:54:53Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 dias_jpt_me_botfca.pdf: 2425163 bytes, checksum: 11fa8bbe7cf0003639b0ab466f25c25d (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Objetivou-se estudar os efeitos de citocinina e bioestimulante (citocinina/giberelina) para promover brotações em estacas de raízes e de auxina para promover a formação de raízes nessas brotações, com isso, propondo uma alternativa para a produção de mudas da amoreira-preta. O primeiro experimento constou de cinco concentrações de 6-benziloaminopurina (BAP), na forma de solução: T1= 0 mg L-1; T2= 100 mg L-1, T3= 200 mg L-1, T4= 400 mg L-1 e T5= 800 mg L-1, aplicadas em toda a estaca de raiz por imersão durante 18 horas, distribuídas em quatro repetições, sendo a parcela de 15 estacas radiciais. No segundo experimento adotou-se cinco concentrações do bioestimulante Promalin® na forma de solução: T1= 0 mg L-1; T2 = 10 mg L-1, T3= 20 mg L-1, T4= 40 mg L 1 e T5= 80 mg L-1. Posteriormente, as estacas radiciais foram mergulhadas nessas soluções durante 12 horas. Utilizaram-se sete repetições, com a parcela constituída por uma bandeja com 10 estacas radiciais, durante 70 dias. A aplicação dos reguladores vegetais, BAP e PromalinÒ, em concentrações altas inibiram o desenvolvimento de brotações em estacas radiciais de amoreira-preta e as características de desenvolvimento dessas brotações, sendo os melhores resultados alcançados sem a aplicação dos reguladores vegetais. Posteriormente, as estacas de raízes de amoreira-preta (sem aplicação de regulador vegetal) foram coletadas de plantas matrizes e colocadas em câmara de nebulização, sendo dispostas em bandejas de polietileno brancas, com casca de arroz carbonizada, conforme o melhor tratamento. Após 60 dias, procedeu-se a retirada das brotações das estacas radiciais, com o corte rente à estaca. Foi feita a seleção e padronização das estacas de brotações, sendo deixadas com altura de dez centímetros e três a quatro folhas por broto, utilizadas para a instalação do terceiro experimento... / The objective was to study the effects of cytokinin and plant growth regulators (cytokinin/gibberellin) to promote shoot growth on root cuttings and auxin to promote root formation in these shoots with that proposing an alternative for the production of seedlings of blackberry. The first experiment consisted of five concentrations of 6- benzylaminopurine (BAP): T1= 0 mg L-1, T2= 100 mg L-1, T3= 200 mg L-1, T4= 400 mg L- 1 and T5= 800 mg L-1, applied across the cutting immersed for 18 hours, divided into four replicates of plot share of 15 root cuttings. The second experiment has five Promalin ®concentrations: T1= 0 mg L-1, T2= 10 mg L-1, T3= 20 mg L-1, T4= 40 mg L-1 and T5= 80 mg L-1, then the root cuttings were dipped in these solutions for 12 hours. Seven replicates were used with the plot had a tray with 10 root cuttings during 70 days. The application of BAP and PromalinÒ in high concentrations inhibited the shoots development in root cuttings of blackberry and the best results was without the application of plant growth regulators. The root cuttings of blackberry (without aplicacation of plant growth regulator) were colleted from stock plants and placed in a mist chamber, being arranged in white polyethylene trays with carbonized rice hull, as the best treatment. After 60 days, we proceeded to the removal of the shoots, cut flush with the close root cutting. It was made the selection and standardization of shoot cuttings, being left with a height of ten inches and three to four leaves per shoot, used for the installation of the third experiment. The treatments consisted of six concentrations of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA): T1= 0 mg L-1, T2= 250 mg L-1, T3= 500 mg L-1, T4= 1000 mg L- 1, T5= 2000 mg L-1 and T6= 4000 mg L-1 applied on the basis of shoot cuttings for ten seconds, in six replication of 12 shoots, for 60 days. The highest concentrations of IBA inhibited root development... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

The effect of cytokinin and gibberellin, and in particular a combination of the two, on termination of dormant potato tubers was investigated. The objective was to effectively terminate dormancy through the external application of a combination of cytokinin and gibberellin. Freshly harvested tubers were treated and either cut at the stolon end with the apical portions placed on moist cotton wool, or left intact and dry. Tuber segments treated with a high concentration of cytokinin (0.1g.Lˉ¹) or a combination of cytokinin and gibberellin sprouted within 5 days, whereas high gibberellin concentrations (0.1g.Lˉ¹) stimulated sprouting within 9 days. Untreated tuber segments supplied only with moisture terminated dormancy later than hormonal treated tubers, but much earlier than segments that were kept dry. Tuber segments treated with a combination of cytokinin and gibberellin, or a high concentration of gibberellin (0.1g.Lˉ¹), produced more and longer sprouts than tubers treated with only cytokinin (0.1g.Lˉ¹) or a low concentration of gibberellin (0.005g.Lˉ¹). Sprouts on tuber segments treated with a combination of cytokinin and gibberellin attained maximum sprout growth rate nine days after treatment, but thereafter the growth rate decreased. This decrease may be a consequence of closed plasmodesmata although membrane permeability and its affect on assimilate availability may play a role. This phenomenon deserves further research attention. Removal of wound periderm did not reactivate sprout growth. The wounding of tubers by removing a portion at the stolon end and supplying moisture greatly enhanced the termination of dormancy and subsequent sprout growth, indicating that the availability of water may be a factor in initiation of sprouts. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that cells in dormant buds are arrested in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Cytokinin is needed to initiate cell cycling, but gibberellin is also needed to initiate and maintain cell growth. These two growth regulators are also involved in the opening of the plasmodesmata as well as the creation of new plasmodesmata witch would establish communication between the apical meristem and the rest of the tuber. / Dissertation (MSc(Agric))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted

Phytochromes (PHYs) and plant hormones have been emerging as important regulators of fleshy fruit physiology and quality traits; however, the relevance of PHY-hormonal signaling crosstalk in controlling fruit development and metabolism remains elusive. This Thesis assesses the role of PHYs and their interplay with auxins, cytokinins and ethylene during the regulation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit development and ripening, with a focus on the control of the plastid biogenesis, sugar metabolism and carotenoid accumulation. In Chapter I, we present evidence that the deficiency in PHY chromophore phytochromobilin (PΦB) biosynthesis, which leads to a global deficiency in functional PHYs, represses fruit chloroplast biogenesis in immature fruits and inhibits fruit sugar accumulation by transcriptionally downregulating sink- and starch biosynthesis-related enzymes. Genetic and physiological evidence suggested the involvement of both auxins and cytokinins as mediators of the negative impact of PΦB deficiency on fruit sink strength and chloroplast formation. During the ripening phase, PΦB deficiency was shown to delay the rise in climacteric ethylene production, affecting the ripening initiation rather than its progression. PHY-hormonal signaling crosstalk was shown to be active not only in the more externally positioned fruit tissues (i.e., pericarp) but also in the most inner fruit regions (i.e., columella). We, therefore, concluded that the global deficiency in functional PHY drastically affects fruit sugar metabolism, chloroplast formation as well as the timing of ripening via an intricate interplay involving phytochromes, auxins, cytokinins and ethylene. In Chapter II, we employed fruit-specific RNAi-mediated silencing of PHY genes to shed light on the specific role played by fruit-localized PHYs and their downstream signaling cascades on tomato fruit physiology and quality traits. Data revealed that fruit-localized SlPHYB2 negatively regulates chlorophyll accumulation in immature fruits whereas SlPHYA positively influences the plastid division machinery. Both SlPHYA and SlPHYB2 were shown to play overlapping, yet distinct, roles in controlling fruit starch metabolism and carotenoid biosynthesis. Our data implicated cytokinin signaling-related proteins as mediators of the SlPHYA-dependent regulation of plastid division machinery, and specific AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs as intermediates in the PHY-mediated regulation of fruit sugar and carotenoid metabolisms. We concluded that fruit-localized SlPHYA- and SlPHYB2-mediated light perception regulate fruit plastid biogenesis as well as sugar and carotenoid metabolisms via coordinated changes in key components of both auxin and cytokinin signaling cascades. Altogether, this study brings important insights into the combined action of PHYs and hormones in the control of fruit plastid biogenesis and highlights that the interplay between PHY-hormonal signaling cascades influences essential features of tomato fruit quality, such as the sugar and carotenoid accumulation / Fitocromos (PHYs) e fitormônios têm sido caracterizados como importantes reguladores da fisiologia e qualidade de frutos carnosos; todavia, a importância de interações entre a sinalização hormonal e dos PHYs no controle do desenvolvimento e metabolismo de frutos ainda permanece pouco elucidada. Este trabalho de Tese avaliou o papel dos PHYs e das suas interações com as auxinas, as citocininas e o etileno sobre a regulação do desenvolvimento e amadurecimento de frutos de tomateiro (Solanum lycopersicum), particularmente no que tange ao controle da biogênese plastidial e metabolismos de açúcares e de carotenoides. No Capítulo I são apresentadas evidências de que a deficiência na produção de fitocromobilina (PΦB), a qual resulta numa deficiência global in PHYs funcionais, impacta negativamente a biogênese de cloroplastos em frutos imaturos e inibe o acúmulo de açúcares por meio da repressão transcricional de enzimas relacionadas a biossíntese de amido e força de dreno nos frutos. Evidências genéticas e fisiológicas indicaram o envolvimento tanto das auxinas quanto das citocininas como mediadoras do impacto negativo da deficiência de PΦB sobre a força de dreno dos frutos bem como na formação de cloroplastos. Durante a fase de amadurecimento, a deficiência em PΦB atrasou a produção climatérica de etileno, afetando o início do amadurecimento mas não a sua progressão. As interações entre PHYs e hormônios mostraram-se ativas não apenas nos tecidos posicionados mais externamente (i.e., pericarpo) mas também nas regiões mais internas do fruto (i.e., columela). Conclui-se, portanto, que a deficiência global em PHYs funcionais afeta drasticamente o metabolismo de açucares, formação de cloroplastos, bem como o tempo de amadurecimento através de uma interação complexa envolvendo fitocromos, auxinas, citocininas e etileno. No Capítulo II utilizamos o silenciamento fruto-específico de PHYs a fim de desvendar de que forma a fisiologia e parâmetros de qualidade do tomate seriam regulados por PHYs presentes no próprio fruto. Os dados obtidos revelaram que moléculas de SlPHYB2 presentes no próprio fruto regulam negativamente o acúmulo de clorofilas nos frutos imaturos, já as de SlPHYA influenciam positivamente a maquinaria de divisão plastidial, e tanto SlPHYA quanto SlPHYB2 desempenham papel sobrepostos, porém distintos, no controle do metabolismo de amido e acúmulo de carotenoides em frutos de tomateiro. Evidências sugerem que proteínas relacionadas à sinalização de citocininas atuariam como mediadoras do impacto de SlPHYA sobre a maquinaria de divisão plastidial, e que AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs específicos seriam intermediários no controle dos PHYs sobre os metabolismos de açúcares e carotenoides. Conclui-se, dessa forma, que a percepção de luz mediada por moléculas de SlPHYA e SlPHYB2 presentes no próprio fruto regulam a biogênese plastidial e os metabolismos de açúcares e carotenoides por meio de alterações coordenadas em componentes chaves das cascatas de sinalização de auxinas e citocininas. Quando combinados, os dados obtidos neste estudo apresentam novidades importantes sobre a ação conjunta de PHYs e fitormônios no controle da biogênese plastidial e demonstram que a interação entre esses sinalizadores influencia características essenciais da qualidade de frutos de tomateiro, tais como o acúmulo de açúcares e de carotenoides

Adenine derivatives called cytokinins (CK) are a group of plant hormones, which in cooperation with other plant hormones orchestrates almost every aspect of plant growth and development. Despite the rapid progress in plant hormone research, there are still many aspects we may shed light on due to the metabolic and signalling pathways redundancy and the network complexity with crosstalk hubs. CK N-glucosides (in this case trans-zeatin-7-glucoside, tZ7G, and trans-zeatin-9-glucoside, tZ9G) have been traditionally viewed as irreversibly deactivated products of CK active form metabolism (in this regard trans-zeatin, tZ). Nevertheless, the tZ9G antisenescent activity was shown in oat leaf senescence bioassays (Avena sativa cv. Abel) and the possibility of metabolic conversion to O-glucosides was hypothesized. The aim of this work was to test the hypothesis on the close model of oat (Avena sativa cv. Patrik) and to examine also the metabolic conversion of related substances - N 6 -(Δ2 -isopentenyl)adenine (iP) and its N7- and N9- glucosides (iP7G and iP9G). While the senescence retardation caused by exogenous tZ9G application was confirmed in the Avena sativa cv. Patrik, metabolic conversions to O-glucosides remain to be verified. Besides the effects of above-mentioned substances on the oat leaf...

Abiotic stresses significantly reduce crop yield, causing serious problems in agriculture. Understanding the mechanisms of plant stress responses could contribute to the improvement of their stress tolerance. Phytohormones play an important role in plant stress defence as well as in regulation of growth and development. This thesis summarizes the results published in four articles focused on the evaluation of the effects of phytohormones during abiotic stresses, namely salinity, drought, ZnO nanoparticle treatment and cold stress. The main emphasis is put on abscisic acid as the key regulator of water status and stress defence, and on cytokinins, which regulate plant growth and stabilize photosynthetic machinery. Cytokinins act antagonistically to abscisic acid. Our results showed that abscisic acid is a general abiotic stress response regulator. Stress- tolerant plants (halophyte Thellungiella salsuginea or winter line of einkorn wheat Triticum monococcum) had a higher basal level of this hormone, especially in shoot meristematic tissues (apices, crowns), than stress-sensitive plants. Stress-tolerant plants reacted faster and in a more flexible way to stress. Active cytokinins were negatively affected by stress, which was associated with growth suppression. The drought stress study showed that...

Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) is a major low-cut cool-season turfgrass used worldwide. The objectives of this research were to: 1) to gain insight into the diurnal fluctuation of N metabolism and effects of cytokinin (CK) and nitrate; 2) to characterize the impacts of N and CK on creeping bentgrass under heat stress; 3) to investigate the simultaneous effects of CK and N on the antioxidant responses of heat stressed creeping bentgrass; and 4) to examine the expression pattern of the major heat shock proteins (HSPs) in creeping bentgrass during different heat stress periods, and then to study the influence of N on the expression pattern of HSPs. The transcript abundance of nitrate reductase (NR), nitrite reductase (NIR), plastidic glutamine synthetase (GS2), ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase (Fd-GOGAT), and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and N metabolites in shoots were monitored during the day/night cycle (14/8 h). All the measured parameters exhibited clear diurnal changes, except GS2 expression and total protein. Both NR expression and nitrate content in shoots showed a peak after 8.5 h in dark, indicating a coordinated oscillation. Nitrate nutrition increased diurnal variation of nitrate content compared to control and CKHowever, CK shifted the diurnal in vivo NR activity pattern during this period. Grass grown at high N had better turf quality (TQ), higher Fv/Fm, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and chlorophyll concentration at both 15 d and 28 d of heat stress than at low N, except for TQ at 15 d. Shoot NO3-, NH4+, and amino acids increased due to the high N treatment, but not water soluble proteins. High N also induced maximum shoot nitrate reductase activity (NRmax) at 1 d. CK increased NDVI at 15 d and Fv/Fm at 28 d. In addition, grass under 100 µM CK had greatest NRmax at both 1 d and 28 d. Under high N with 100 µM CK, root tZR and iPA were 160% and 97% higher than under low N without CK, respectively. Higher O2- production, H2O2 concentration, and higher malonydialdehyde (MDA) content in roots were observed in grass grown at high N. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and guaiacol peroxidase (POD) in roots were enhanced by high N at 19, 22, and 24% levels, respectively, relative to low N. Twenty-eight days of heat stress resulted in either the development of new isoforms or enhanced isoform intensities of SOD, APX, and POD in roots compared to the grass responses prior to heat stress. However, no apparent differences were observed among treatments. No CK effects on these antioxidant parameters were found in this experiment. At week seven, grass at medium N had better TQ, NDVI, and Fv/Fm accompanied by lower shoot electrolyte leakage (ShEL) and higher root viability (RV), suggesting better heat resistance. All the investigated HSPs (HSP101, HSP90, HSP70, and sHSPs) were up-regulated by heat stress. Their expression patterns indicated cooperation between different HSPs and that their roles in creeping bentgrass thermotolerance were affected by N level. / Ph. D.

In dieser Arbeit wurde die plastidäre Genexpression hinsichtlich zweier Aspekte untersucht: der Cytokinineinfluss auf die plastidäre Transkription und ihrer Komponenten sowie eine in vivo-Charakterisierung von PrpoB-345, des Promotors des rpoB-Operons im Tabak. Cytokinine beeinflussen die Chloroplastenbiogenese und –funktion. Um den Einfluss von Cytokinin auf die plastidäre Genexpression zu untersuchen, wurden run-on-Transkriptionsassays und quantitative real-time RT-PCR von BA-behandelten seneszenten Tabakblättern und sieben-Tage-alten Arabidopsis- und Tabakpflanzen durchgeführt. Zeitreihenanalysen zeigten eine Aktivierung der plastidären Transkription in jungen Pflanzen und im seneszenten Tabak 2 h bzw. 3 h nach BA-Applikation. Abgeschnittene Blätter von Tabakmutanten mit konstitutiv reduziertem Cytokiningehalt antworteten bereits nach 30 min der Hormonbehandlung. Es gibt jedoch keinen eindeutigen Hinweis für eine direkte Korrelation zwischen der Expression der nukleär kodierten Phagentyp-RNA-Polymerasen und der BA-induzierten transkriptionellen Aktivierung der Plastidengene. Zusammengefasst, scheint die Antwort auf exogenes Cytokinin vom physiologischen Status der Chloroplasten, die von der Pflanzenart sowie vom endogenen Cytokiningehalt beeinflusst werden, abzuhängen. Plastidäre Gene höherer Pflanzen werden von mindestens zwei RNA-Polymerasen transkribiert: die plastidär kodierte RNA-Polymerase vom Bakterientyp (PEP) und die kernkodierte Phagentyp-RNA-Polymerase (NEP). NEP transkribiert das rpoB-Operon, das drei von vier Untereinheiten der PEP kodiert. Transkriptions- und Transkriptanalysen von rpoB-Promotor-Deletionsmutanten ergaben Hinweise auf mögliche Regulationsstellen der Kontrolle der rpoB-Transkription. Neben PrpoB-345 konnten zwei weitere Promotoren kartiert werden. Einer von ihnen ist ein putativer PEP-Promotor, der auf autoregulatorische Rückkopplungsmechanismen bei der PEP-Expression hindeutet. / In this study, plastid gene expression was analyzed focusing on two aspects: the effect of cytokinin on plastid gene transcription and its components, and the in vivo characterization of PrpoB-345, the promoter of the rpoB operon in tobacco. Cytokinins are involved in the control of chloroplast biogenesis and function. To study cytokinin effects on plastid gene expression, chloroplast run-on transcription and quantitative real-time RT-PCR from senescent tobacco leaves as well as Arabidopsis and tobacco seedlings after BA treatment were performed. Analyses of time series revealed that BA-induced changes in plastid gene expression are seemingly under circadian and homeostatic control. After 2 h and 3 h of incubation with cytokinin, a stimulation of chloroplast transcription could be observed in seedlings and senescent leaves, respectively. Detached leaves of tobacco mutants with reduced endogenous cytokinin content responded even faster to BA (30 min). There is no indication of direct correlation of the expression of nuclear-encoded plastid phage-type RNA-polymerases and the BA-induced transcriptional activation of plastid genes. In summary, the responsiveness to exogenous cytokinin depends on the physiological status of chloroplasts influenced by plant species and endogenous cytokinin pool. Plastid genes of higher plants are transcribed by at least two RNA polymerases: the plastid-encoded eubacterial-type RNA polymerase (PEP) and the nucleus-encoded phage-type RNA polymerase (NEP). NEP transcribes the rpoB operon encoding three of four subunits of PEP. Transcription and transcript analyses from rpoB promoter deletion mutants indicated putative regulatory sites of control of rpoB transcription which may also interact with (cytokinin-regulated) specificity factors. Beside PrpoB-345, two additional rpoB promoters could be mapped. One of them is a putative PEP promoter which may imply autoregulatory loops of PEP expression.

Autumn senescence is a visually spectacular phenomenon in which trees prepare for the oncoming winter. The mechanism for regulation of autumn senescence in trees has been very hard to pinpoint. In this thesis the main focus is to investigate how autumn senescence is regulated in aspens (Populus tremula). Previous work has established that autumn senescence in aspens is under daylight control, in this thesis the metabolic status and the effect on autumn senescence was investigated. The metabolic status was altered by girdling which leads to accumulation of photosynthates in the canopy. This resulted in an earlier onset of senescence but also the speed of senescence was changed. At the onset of senescence the girdled trees also accumulated or retained anthocyanins. The nitrogen status of aspens during autumn senescence was also investigated, we found that high doses of fertilization could significantly delay the onset of senescence. The effects of various nitrogen forms was investigated by delivering organic and inorganic nitrogen through a precision fertilization delivery system that could inject solutes directly into the xylem of the mature aspens. The study showed that addition of nitrate delayed senescence, addition of arginine did not have any effect on the autumn senescence in aspens, and furthermore the nitrate altered the trees leaf metabolism that was more profound in high dosages of supplied nitrate.  Cytokinins are plant hormones believed to delay or block senescence, studies have suggested that the decrease of cytokinins and/or cytokinin signalling may precede senescence in some plants. To investigate how cytokinin regulates autumn senescence in aspens we profiled 34 cytokinin types in a free growing mature aspen. The study begun before autumn senescence was initiated and ended with the shedding of the leaves, and spanned three consecutive years. The study showed that the individual cytokinin profiles varied significantly between the years, this despite that senescence was initiated at the same time each year. Senescence was furthermore not connected to the depletion of either active or total cytokinins levels. The gene pattern of genes known to be associated with cytokinin was also studied, but no gene expression pattern that the profile generated could explain the onset of senescence. These results suggest that the depletion of cytokinins is unlikely to explain the tightly regulated onset of autumn leaf senescence in aspen.