Recent studies indicate direct links between molecular cell cycle and cell differentiation machineries. Ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA) are known to affect cell division and differentiation, but the mechanisms of such effects are poorly understood. As ethylene and ABA signaling routes may interact, we examined their involvement in cell division and differentiation in cell tissue cultures derived from several Arabidopsis thaliana plants: wild type (Col-0), and ethylene-insensitive mutants etr1-1, ctr1-1, and ein2-1. We designed an experimental setup to analyze the growth-related parameters and molecular mechanisms in proliferating cells upon short exposure to ABA. Here, we provide evidence for the ethylene-ABA signaling pathways' interaction in the regulation of cell division and differentiation as follows: (1) when the ethylene signal transduction pathway is functionally active (Col-0), the cells actively proliferate, and exogenous ABA performs its function as an inhibitor of DNA synthesis and division; (2) if the ethylene signal is not perceived (etr1-1), then, in addition to cell differentiation (tracheary elements formation), cell death can occur. The addition of exogenous ABA can rescue the cells via increasing proliferation; (3) if the ethylene signal is perceived, but not transduced (ein2-1), then cell differentiation takes place-the latter is enhanced by exogenous ABA while cell proliferation is reduced; (4) when the signal transduction pathway is constitutively active, the cells begin to exit the cell cycle and proceed to endo-reduplication (ctr1-1). In this case, the addition of exogenous ABA promotes reactivation of cell division.It is known that, in stressed intact plants, ethylene and ABA influence each other's synthesis [2], and their signal transduction paths can cross-talk [3][4][5]. However, there is no information on interaction of the signaling pathways for ethylene and ABA in non-stressed plants.Previously, we demonstrated that cell tissue culture derived from Arabidopsis thaliana, both wild type and ethylene insensitive mutants, is an appropriate model to study ethylene and ABA effects on cell division under non-stressed conditions [6].It is fair to say that more is known about ethylene signal perception and transduction than signal perception and transduction for any another plant hormone. The data on ethylene signaling are generated mostly from experimental work on ethylene sensitivity mutants. Using the mutants and identifying the genes where the lesions are, the ethylene transduction chain has been revealed. These involve five partially functionally redundant receptors, localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi membrane: ERS1 (ETHYLENE RESPONSE SENSOR 1), ERS2, ETR1 (ETHYLENE RESISTANCE 1), ETR2 and EIN4 (ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 4). Downstream from the ethylene receptors, there is CTR1 (Constitutive Triple Response 1), a protein homologous to MAPKKK of Raf-type. One particular feature of the ethylene signaling pathway is that the receptors and CTR1 are negative regulators. In a f...