Dormin (Abscisin II), inhibitor of plant DNA synthesis?

Abstract

Dormin (abscisin II), inhibits growth of Lemna minor cultures. At 1 part per million (3.8x10(-6)M), the culture appears nearly completely dormant but can be revived readily by transferring it to fresh medium free of dormin. The cytokinin benzyladenine, but not auxin or gibberellin, will counteract the dormin effect. Quantitative restoration of normal growth by cytokinin, however, can be achieved only if the dormin concentration does not exceed a critical level. Separation, after phenol-detergent extraction, of nucleic acids on methylated albumin kieselguhr columns showed suppression of nucleic acid synthesis by dormin in all fractions. Inhibition of the synthesis of the DNA fraction seems to precede that of RNA. Cytokinins reverse the process. They promote synthesis of all nucleic acid fractions, but again DNA seems to lead. Further work on the interaction of dormin with growth-promoting hormones might be facilitated by adopting the Monod model of allosteric transition, with, for example, DNA polymerase as the protein, dormin as the inhibitor, and cytokinin or other growth promoters as activators.