POLYAMINES IN EMBRYOGENIC CULTURES OF NORWAY SPRUCE (PICEA-ABIES) ANDRED SPRUCE (PICEA-RUBENS)

Embryogenic cultures of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) and Norway spr uce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) were initiated from dissected mature zyg otic embryos. The tissues were grown on either proliferation medium or maturation medium. On proliferation medium, the embryogenic tissue co ntinued to produce early stage somatic embryos (organized meristems at tached to elongated, suspensor-like cells), whereas on maturation medi um fully mature embryos developed from the embryonic tissue. Analysis of polyamines in tissues grown on these two media showed that: (1) bot h putrescine and spermidine concentrations were always higher in cultu res grown on proliferation medium than in cultures grown on maturation medium; (2) in both species, spermidine concentrations declined with time in the tissues grown on maturation medium; and (3) spermine was p resent in only minute quantities and showed only a small change with t ime. The presence of difluoromethylomithine in the culture medium had little effect on polyamine concentration, whereas the presence of difl uoromethylarginine caused a decrease in putrescine concentrations in b oth red spruce and Norway spruce tissues grown on proliferation medium or maturation medium.