W. Karcz et Z. Burdach, THE EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC-FIELD ON THE GROWTH OF INTACT SEEDLINGS AND COLEOPTILE SEGMENTS OF ZEA-MAYS L, Biologia plantarum, 37(3), 1995, pp. 391-397
The experiments were carried out with 96-h-old intact maize seedlings
and 10 mm long coleoptile segments cut 4 mm below the tip. The electri
c fields were applied longitudinally along the seedlings. The electric
field (15 V) caused inhibition of the elongation growth of intact see
dlings which was dependent on both the polarity and the duration of th
e applied voltage. The growth inhibition was greater when the tip of t
he shoot was positive relative to the roots. The electric field also c
aused inhibition of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and fusicoccin (FC) ind
uced growth of maize coleoptile segments excised from electrically tre
ated seedlings. IAA-induced growth of coleoptile segments was greater
when the tip of the shoot was negative to the roots (not in the case o
f FC-treated segments and intact seedlings). It was suggested that apa
rt from the changes induced by electric field in transport system of a
uxin the electric field affected also the activity of plasmalemma prot
on pump.