Kinetin regulates plant growth and biochemical changes during maturation and senescence of leaves, flowers, and pods of Cajanus cajan L.

Abstract

Aspects of plant growth such as height, branch number, leaf number, leaf area, pod area, 100-seed mass, etc., were correlated with biochemical changes such as contents of chlorophyll (Chl), proteins, DNA, and RNA, and protease activity during development and senescent phases in leaves, flowers, and pods of Cajanus cajan L. cv. UPAS-120 after treatments with kinetin (Kn). A significant increase was noticed in branch number, leaf number, leaf area, and seed mass while other growth processes registered a small increase after Kn application. Effectiveness of 5 μM Kn was also noticed in minimizing the loss of Chls, proteins, and nucleic acids as well as reducing the protease activity during maturity and senescence. Chl a/b ratio maintained a high value up to 30-d followed by a decline in leaves while flowers registered much lower ratio at 20-d-age. Pods were unique in having relatively lower ratio of Chl a/b in comparison to leaves.

Exogenous application of plant growth regulators increased the total flavonoid content in Taraxacum officinale Wigg

“…Application of an aqueous solution of SA on shoots of soybean significantly increased growth of the plant (Eraslan et al, 2007). Kinetin and SA may regulate plant growth and development by enhancing GA metabolism of the plants (Mukharjee and Kumar, 2007). Thus current investigations not only confirm previous reports, but also showed that dandelion responded in a similar fashion to PGRs application like other plants.…”

Chloroplast pigments, proteins, lipid peroxidation and activities of antioxidative enzymes during maturation and senescence of leaves and reproductive organs of Cajanus cajan L.

“…Numerous investigators including Simpson et al (1983), Grover et al (1985) and Rao and Mikherjee (1990) have suggested earlier that requirements for nitrogen in grains and pods could be largely satisfied by vegetative structures like leaves which are closest to them. The distribution pattern of protein in leaves and reproductive organs gets support from earlier study in our laboratory where DNA, RNA and proteins have been analyzed in C. cajan (Mukherjee and Kumar 2007).…”

Role of kinetin and a morphactin in leaf disc senescence of Raphanus sativus L. under low light

“…3). It is possible to check the degradation of protein, DNA and RNA by KN application in senescing leaves, flowers and pods of Cajanus cajan L. (Mukherjee and Kumar 2007). Earlier investigation on leaf disc senescence in Spinacia oleracea L. has revealed the effectiveness of KN in minimizing protease activity (Mukherjee and Jakhar 2009).…”