Auxin is one of the crucial plant hormones which stimulates and controls cell and plant growth. The effects of auxin IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) during 10-days on maize plants growth in controlled conditions (hydroponic, 16-h photoperiod, 70% humidity, 25/20 °C temperature), depended on its concentration in the substrate. A high concentration (10-7 M) of IBA inhibited root growth, evoked the development of apoplasmic barriers (Casparian bands and suberin lamellae) closer to the root apex, and elevated the amount of lignin in roots. A low concentration (10-11 M) of IBA stimulated root growth but affected neither the development of apoplasmic barriers, nor the amount of lignin. Auxin in a 10-8 M concentration influenced the root growth to a minimal extent compare to the control, and it was the non-effective concentration. Plant cell walls as cell structures ensure cell enlargement and plant growth, and have to react to auxin stimulus by modification of their components. We found the most significant changes in the composition of the PF III fraction (lignocellulosic complex) of the cell wall. The presence of auxin in the substrate affected all three components of this fraction - Klason lignin and both the by acid (2 M TFA) non-hydrolysable and the hydrolysable parts of this complex. The ratio of the non-hydrolysable part to the Klason lignin increased from 1.3 to 3.3 with increasing auxin concentrations in the substrate. This may be related to the deposition of polysaccharides and lignin in the cell wall, which help maintain the specific tensile stress of, and turgor pressure on, the cell walls.
Keywords: Auxin; Cell wall composition; Maize.
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