biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 2012, 56:590-594 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0061-y

Polyamine content during minimal growth storage of Thymus moroderi explants

A. Marco-Medina¹, J. L. Casas^1,*

¹ Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Institute of Biodiversity CIBIO, University of Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain

The polyamine (PA) content of in vitro-grown explants of Thymus moroderi Pau ex Martínez has been evaluated during minimal growth storage. The growth restriction was imposed by the combined action of osmotically-active compounds (15 g dm^-3 sucrose and 15 g dm^-3 mannitol) present in the Murashige and Skoog medium and the modification of the physical environment of the culture (4 °C and darkness). In these conditions, cultures were maintained up to 29 weeks without subculture. During this storage period, we analyzed contents of free, perchloric acid (PCA)-soluble and PCA-insoluble conjugated PA. Minimal growth storage brought about an increase in free putrescine (Put) coinciding with a reduction in PCA-soluble conjugated Put occurring during the first weeks of storage. PCA-insoluble conjugated spermidine (Spd) also accumulated in response to storage.

Keywords: in vitro conservation; low temperature; mannitol; putrescine; sorbitol; spermidine; sucrose

Subjects: in vitro conservation; mannitol; putrescine; sorbitol; spermidine; sucrose; temperature - low

Species: Thymus moroderi

Received: May 20, 2011; Accepted: July 21, 2011; Published: September 1, 2012Show citation