Changes in cytokinin (zeatin – Z, zeatin riboside – ZR, isopentenyladenine – iP, isopentenyladenosine – iPA) levels were determined under light regimes inductive and non‐inductive for flowering in leaves, stems, roots and apical parts of short‐day Chenopodium rubrum and long‐day Chenopodium murale. In leaves. stems and roots of both plant species the level of cytokinins (in C. rubrum of Z and ZR, in C. murale of Z. ZR, iP and iPA) decreased by about 50% during the dark period and increased again during the subsequent light period, No significant changes in cytokinin levels were observed in continuous light. In apical parts of C. rubrum cytokinin level (Z, ZR, iP) was dramatically increased (by 400–500%) at the end of the dark period and decreased to about the original value during the following light period, while no changes were observed in continuous light. In apical parts of C. murale the level of cytokinins doubled during floral induction consisting of 10 days of continuous light. A red (R) break (15 min at the 6th h of darkness), which prevents flowering in C. rubrum, has no significant effect on cytokinin levels in leaves at the end of darkness. Cytokinin levels increased 1 h after R and decreased again rapidly. On the other hand, the increase of cytokinin level in the apical parts of C. rubrum was largely prevented by the R break. These effects of R on cytokinin levels were not reverted by far‐red (FR), while the effect on flowering was reverted. It may be concluded that there is no correlation between changes in cytokinin levels in leaves. Stems and roots and photoperiodic flower induction, as both species, representing different photoperiodic types, showed similar changes under the same light regime. The increase of cytokinin levels in apical parts of both photoperiodic species during floral induction suggests a role (increased cell division and branching) for cytokinins in apex evocation.

Machackova, L, Hanisova, A, and Krekule, J, 1989, Levels of ethylene, ACC. MACC, ABA and proline as indicators of cold hardening and fro.st resistance in winter wheat. Plant, 76;[603][604][605][606][607] Changes in ethylene production and in the contents of 1-aminoeyelopropane-l-carbt>xylic acid (ACC), l-(malonylamino)-cyclopropane-l-carboxylic aeid (MACC), abscisic aeid (ABA) and L-proline were detennined after 40 days of cold hardening at 4°C in three wheat cultivars differing in frost resistance, Proline and especially ABA accumulated with hardening in all varieties in parallel with the degree of frost resistance, e,g, proline and ABA increases in the non-resistant cv, Slavia were 2x and 5x, whilst in the resistant cv, Mironovska 808 increases were 4x and 20x, Ethylene production and MACC level showed no significant changes with hardening in any of the cultivars after 40 d, but ACC levels did increase with hardening. The production of ethylene, ACC and MACC was studied during hardening, Ethylene production deereased sharply at low temperature and rose rapidly (within 1 day) on return to normal temperature, while ACC production reacted in the opposite direetion, MACC levels rose rapidly during the first 4 days of cold, then more slowly for about 2 weeks, thereafter decreasing again steadily. The only varietal differences occurring at maximum levels were correlated with the degree of frost resistance.

Vernalization-induced flowering is an effect of the epigenetic regulation of gene expression through DNA methylation and histone modifications. Vernalizationmediated silencing of a floral repressor through histone modifications was shown in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, for Brassica napus L., the mechanism underlying vernalization is unclear, and the roles of DNA methylation and histone modifications have not been established. This study revealed the profiles of changes in the DNA methylation state during vernalization (after 14, 35, 56 days) and the subsequent growth in long-or short-day photoperiods (after 2, 7, 14 days) in the winter and spring rapeseed using TLC and MSAP techniques. TLC analysis showed a significant decrease in the amount of 5-methylcytosine (m 5 C) in genomic DNA in both cultivars at the beginning of vernalization, but upon its termination, the winter rape showed a reduced level of m 5 C contrary to a significantly increased level in the spring rape. MSAP analysis revealed that winter and spring rapeseed differed in the MSAP loci which were demethylated/methylated in the course of the experiment and presented diverse profiles of changes in the methylation state. The winter rape showed permanent demethylations at 69.2 % of MSAP loci in the course of vernalization that were mostly preserved upon its termination. The spring rape showed similar numbers of demethylations and methylations that were mainly transient. The study provides evidence of the role of DNA methylation in vernalization for rapeseed and for the significant prevalence of demethylations at the beginning of vernalization, which is necessary for the transition to reproductive growth.

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