Experimental induction of vascular tissue in an undifferentiated plant callus

Abstract

By the implantation of wedges containing indol-3-ylacetic acid and sucrose into blocks of undifferentiated bean-callus tissue it has been possible to induce the formation of xylem and phloem cells. The differentiation has been investigated cytologically and measured chemically. The optimum concentrations the nutrients in the wedge, which gave differentiation closely resembling the vascular development found in the stem of the intact plant, was 0.1 mg. of indol-3-ylacetic acid/1, and 2% sucrose. The ratios of the xylose/arabinose concentrations of the tissues increased in the differentiated callus tissue compared with those of the undifferentiated tissue. A similar increase has been found for the ratios determined for xylem tissue compared with those for cambium. The lignin content of the differentiated tissue compared with the undifferentiated tissue was greater in both the callus and stem tissue. Chemical analysis of lignin showed that in the differentiated callus tissue it consisted of sub-units based on p-hydroxybenzaldehyde and vanillin. This was compared with the lignin obtainedfrom undifferentiated callus tissue and that obtained from the tissues of the intact stem. The results of the investigation have been discussed with reference to the problems of cell growth and differentiation and related to the changing patterns of the ultrastructure of the cell during its development.