Quantitative changes in polyamines during vernalisation in wheat (Triticumaestivum L.)

The aim of the work was to carry out a detailed examination of quantitative changes in polymines during vernalisation and to obtain information on the significance of the alternative metabolic pathway (via arginine-agmatine-p utrescine), which current knowledge indicates to function only in higher pl ants. It became clear from the experiments that the central compound of the alternative synthetic pathway, agmatine, was accumulated in winter wheat w ith various vernalisation requirements, especially during the last third of the vernalisation period. It was impossible to demonstrate the accumulatio n of agmatine in spring wheat cultivars. At the same time the quantity of p utrescine changed in the same way in winter and spring wheat varieties. It was also observed that the quantity of spermidine gradually decreased paral lel with the accumulation of agmatine. The accumulation of agmatine was con firmed by measuring the activity of arginine decarboxylase, the key enzyme of the alternative metabolic pathway. It is concluded that this alternative metabolic pathway is of no significance in spring wheat varieties where lo w temperature is not required for vernalisation.