Induction of alcohol dehydrogenase by plant hormones in alfalfa seedlings

Six-day-old alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seedlings were treated with auxin, abscisic acid (ABA), cytokinin and gibberellin to determine the effect of these plant hormones on induction of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). The ADH a ctivity was increased at concentrations greater than 1 mu M for auxin and A BA and 3 mu M for cytokinin, respectively, and all increases were found wit hin 6 h after treatments. However, ADH activity remained almost unchanged i n the seedlings treated with gibberellin. At 100 mu M doses, the activities in the seedlings were 4.0-, 3.6- and 2.1-fold greater than that of non-tre ated seedlings for auxin, ABA and cytokinin, respectively.