CYTOKININ
Cytokinin is an important plant growth regulator which causes cell divisions
Discovery:
G. Haberladt (1913) discovered an unknown compound from the vascular tissues which
causes rapid cell division, cork cambium formation and wound healing.
Miller (1955) isolated a substance from Yeast DNA which causes cytokinesis (division
of cytoplasm). He called it kinetin.
Letham (1963) isolated a crystal from the immature corn grain. He called it zeatin.
Later on a number of substances have been discovered which are responsible for
cytokinesis. Therefore, the term cytokinin is still used for all of them by Letham.
Cytokinesis is also known as coconut milk factor, because it has been observed from
the endosperm of coconut by Overbeek et al., (1941).
Bioassay of Cytokinin: The most rapid and sensitive bioassay of cytokinin is Betacyanin
synthesis test.
Definition:
Skoog (1964) and Mothes (1967) defined cytokinin as a ‘generic name for substances
which promote cell division and causes other growth regulatory functions in the
same manner as zeatin’.
Horgan (1984) defined ‘substance which in the presence of optimal auxin causes cell
division in tobacco and other similar assay system grown on an optimally defined
medium’.
Distribution: Cytokinins are mostly found in meristematic cells of angiosperms and
Conifers. They are also present in mosses, red algae, brown algae, diatoms,
phytopathogenic bacteria and fungi. They are also obtained from t-RNA, r-RNA and
DNA.
Translocation: it occurs through xylem in all parts. Phloem is also more effective.
Structure: All the cytokinins have purine (adenine) rings with a side chain rich in C and H.
Types of Cytokinins:
Natural cytokinins:
1. Zeatin
2. IPA (Isopentenyl amino purine)
Synthetic cytokinins:
1. Kinetin
2. 6-Benzyl aminopurine.
Biosynthesis: The exact mechanism of the biosynthesis of cytokinin is not well known. But a
breakthrough came after the work of Chung-Mmaw-Chen and D.K. Melitz (1979) that
tobacco tissues contain an enzyme that forms Isopentenyl adenosine 5-phosphate which gives
cytokinin.
Role (Function or Significance) of Cytokinins:
1. Cell division: It is the most striking or peculiar feature of cytokinin. Cytokinin causes
cell division in the presence of sufficient amount of auxin which would otherwise not
divide when IAA and kinetin are applied together (2 ppm IAA and 0.02 ppm kinetin).
The callus growth can be maintained indefinitely. IAA involves in DNA replication while
kinetin in cytokinesis.
2. Cell enlargement: Like IAA and GA3, cytokinin also causes increase in size of leaf and
cotyledonary tissue. According to Arora (1959) cytokinin causes enlargement of cortical
cells of tobacco root upto four times of their normal size.
3. Morphogenesis (Callus formation): Cytokinin causes the morphogenetic change in
tissue culture. In callus, root and shoot initiation can be induced by varying ratio of IAA
and kinetin. If kinetin-IAA ratio is high, shoot formation is initiated and if low, root
formation is initiated. Some other morphogenetic responses are formation of plastids
from pro-plastids, differentiation of tracheids and induction of flowering and
parthenogenesis.
4. Formation of parthenocarpic fruit: It is a characteristic feature of cytokinin. e.g., Ficus
carica (anjir), Vitis vinifera (grapes) etc.
5. Dormancy: Cytokinins break dormancy.
6. Flowering: Cytokinins induce the flowering in short day plants under long day condition.
7. Reversal of apical dominance: In some plants cytokinins can reverse the effect of apical
dominance.
8. Delay of senescence (Delayed ageing): Cytokinins as compared to gibberellins are more
effective in delaying senescence in aerial parts of plants by controlling protein synthesis
and mobilization of resources. If cytokinins are added in droplets to the yellowing of part
of leaf blade, the treated areas become green and fresh.
9. Increasing in fruit size: A preparation called promalin (a mixture of CK i.e., 6-benzyl
adenine, GA4 and GA5 seems to be very active in stimulating the size of apple fruit
particularly in red delicious apple.
10. Breakdown: Cytokinins prevent the breakdown of protein, nucleic acid and chlorophyll.
Mechanism of Action of Cytokinin:
The exact mechanism of action of cytokinin is not fully understood. Some cytokinins
occur as constituents of t-RNA. They determine the confirmation of anticodon (Ghosh and
Ghosh 197….). It is just possible that cytokinins influence growth through two forms: one
incorporated inside of t-RNA and the other in free-state. The t-RNA contained cytokinins control
the synthesis of proteins and hence enzymes. The free cytokinins may protect such t-RNA from
ribonucleases (Anderson, 1972) or actually help in the synthesis of new t-RNA (Rijven and
Prakash, 1971).
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