The effect of zeatin and iso-pentenyladenine on IAA transport from the shoot to the root of Pinus pinea seedlings

The tips of the tap roots of Pinus pinea seedlings were dipped in zeatin or iso-pentenyladenine solutions. Immediately after cytokinin application to the root tip or after a 24 h lag phase, [2-¹⁴C]IAA was applied to the shoot apex. Treating with zeatin resulted in an increase in [2-¹⁴C]IAA transport from the shoot to the root. Iso- pentenyladenine also caused a slight increase in transport of radioactivity to the root but this was less pronounced compared to the results obtained with zeatin. With zeatin treatment increasing amounts of radioactivity accumulated in the lateral root emerging zone of the tap root (Section III). This was in sharp contrast to the treatment with iso-pentenyladenine where little radioactivity accumulated in this section of the root. Recovery of radioactivity 48 h after applying [2¹⁴C]IAA showed that 33% of the recovered radioactivity co-chromatographed with authentic IAA. The implications of the effect of different cytokinins on the distribution of radioactivity along the tap root of Pinus pinea following [2- ¹⁴C]IAA application to the shoot are discussed.