The role of ethylene in activation division cell quiescent center in the cut maize roots

In the present work we used two maize cultivars in which root meristem responded differently to root tip excision: in Interkras-375 MW we observed meristem opening due to the activation of cell divisions in the quiescent center (QC), while in Krasnodar-194 MW the meristem remained closed. Excised root tips of Interkras M B-375 were shown to produce much more ethylene than excised root tips of Krasnodar-194 MW The inhibitor of ethylene biosynthesis L-α-ethoxyvinyl 2amino-glycine-HCl (AVG) and inhibitors of ethylene action AgNO3 and 1-methyl-cyclopropene (MCP) prevented meristem opening in excised root tips of Intekras-375 MW. The obtained results allow us to conclude that ethylene plays an important role in the activation of cell divisions in the QC of excised root tips.