EFFECT OF ABSCISIC-ACID, GIBBERELLIC-ACID, INDOLEACETIC-ACID, AND KINETIN ON SELECTIVE RIBOSOMAL CISTRON REGULATION IN QUIESCENT AND SENESCENT ONION LEAF BASE TISSUE

Small pieces of tissue from the basal, equatorial, near-apical, and ap ical regions of the third turgid onion leaf base were treated (3 and 6 h in the dark) with abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellic acid (GA(3)), in doleacetic acid (IAA), and kinetin (K) and compared with responses in water controls. ABA inhibited the activation (increase in size and cha nges in morphologies from round or oval to elongated-oval and dumbbell ) of major nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) in basal, equatorial, an d near-apical tissue. GA(3) and K activated the major NORs in the basa l, equatorial, and near-apical tissue. IAA stimulated the activation o f major NORs in basal tissue but inhibited their activation in equator ial and near-apical tissue. No major nucleoli were activated in contro l or plant growth regulator-treated apical tissue. Minor NORs were not expressed in the control and plant growth regulator-treated tissue in these four locations. Actinomycin D and cycloheximide inhibited major NOR activation in equatorial control and kinetin-treated tissue. We p ropose that ABA, GA(3), IAA, and K are major NOR regulators. We infer that the basal through near-apical cells were quiescent during post-ha rvest storage and that the cells in the apical tissue had senesced bey ond the point of no return (degeneration of the karyoskeleton) in the cellular senescence pathway.