PEROXIDASE-ACTIVITIES AND CONTENTS OF PHENOLIC-ACIDS IN EMBRYOGENIC AND NONEMBRYOGENIC ALFALFA CELL-SUSPENSION CULTURES

Contents of phenolic acids, peroxidase activities and growth curves sh owed significant differences in embryogenic (EC) and nonembryogenic (N EC) suspension cultures of Medicago sativa L. NEC gave a typical growt h curve while in EC the distinct phases were absent. The total content of phenolic acids was higher in NEC (related to EC), changed during t he growth cycle and most of the acids occurred in ester-bound methanol soluble form. The level of phenolic acids in EC was significantly low er and did not change during 12-d cultivation. The major fraction was formed by phenolic acids ester-bound to the cell wall. The cytoplasmic peroxidase activity in NEC increased continuously during the growth a nd reached the maximum value at the end of exponential phase. In EC th e extremely low cytoplasmic peroxidase activity did not change during cultivation. Ionically bound peroxidases in NEC represented 14 to 30 % of the total extracted activity in dependence on the growth phase whi le in EC formed about 50 % of the total activity and did not change du ring studied period. A possible participation of ionic peroxidase in t he incorporation of phenolics into the cell wall is discussed.