MORPHOLOGY OF POTATO (SOLANUM-TUBEROSUM L-CV SANTE) STEM NODE CULTURES IN RELATION TO THE LEVEL OF ENDOGENOUS CYTOKININS

Stem node culture of the potato (Solanum tuberosum) cv. Sante was used to examine the phenotypical alterations due to different levels of en dogenous cytokinins. The altered phenotype, which dramatically deviate s from the control phenotype, was induced after treatment of plantlets with 1 mu M jasmonic acid. Plantlets grown on the medium supplemented with jasmonic acid were taller, with well developed root systems, exp anded leaves, thickened stems, and they showed hyperhydric symptoms. T heir cytokinin content was about half that of the control plantlets. M orphologic characteristics corresponding to transgenic plants that ove rproduce cytokinins, including release of axillary buds and inhibited rooting, correlated with the high cytokinin levels in control plants.