CONTROL OF NICOTIANA-TABACUM CALLUS GROWTH BY ALTERNATING AND PULSED ELECTRIC-FIELD

Tobacco callus was subjected to alternating and pulsed electric curren t of different intensities. The electrically treated callus showed a s ignificant stimulation of growth (50% mass growth percentage) for both wave shapes in the 0.3-1.0 mu A current intensity range. Stimulated g rowth of the treated callus was observed in a given intensity window o f the electric current. These results allow us to consider the callus culture as a sensitive system to external weak electric field. We prop ose that the interaction of the applied electric field with the biolog ical processes at the membrane level (transduction of signals, transpo rt phenomena) determines the stimulation of some metabolic processes.