Chenopodium murale L., a long-day plant as a model for physiological and biochemical research

Abstract

Živanović, B., Mitrović, A., Bogdanović-Pristov, J., Radotić Hadži-Manić, K., Ćulafić, Lj.:Chenopodium murale L., a long-day plant as a model for physiological and biochemical research.Biologica Nyssana, 1 (1-2), December 2010: 71-75.

Chenopodium murale L. genus Chenopodium family Chenopodiaceae is a weedy annual widely distributed inSerbia. This is a long-day plant and an early flowering species. We used culture of intact plants in vitro andantioxidative enzymes detection in order to examine the effect of gibberellic acid (GA3) on two key processesduring ontogenesis – germination and flowering. Our results showed a sequential expression of antioxidativeenzymes during germination. In dry seeds and during early imbibition catalase (CAT) and superoxidedismutase (SOD) activities showed no changes, while peroxidase (POD) activity was under the level ofdelectability. During radicule protrusion CAT and SOD activity increased. Early seedling developmentcorrelates with decrease in SOD, increase in CAT and appearance of POD activity. GA3 delayed andsynchronized germination. C. murale photoperiodic sensitivity for flowering shows age-dependant oscillatorychanges. Glucose and GA3 have cumulative stimulatory effect on its flowering in vitro. The exposure of 2months old vegetative plants to continuous darkness, in the presence of GA3 in culture media, resulted inflowering. Therefore transferring to darkness canceled photoperiodic control in C.murale and floweringoccurred under autonomous mechanism. We suggest C.murale as a suitable model for investigation ofphysiological and biochemical mechanisms of growth and developmental processes.

Key words: catalase, Chenopodium murale L., germination, gibberelic acid, flowering, peroxidase,superoxide dismutase