Essential role of polyamines in growth of cultured carrot cells

Abstract

Increase in cell number of growing cultured carrot was inhibited in the presence of 0.5 mM methylglyoxal bis-(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG), a compound known to prevent the conversion of putrescine to spermidine and spermine. MGBG-induced inhibition of growth of carrot cells was almost restored to the level of the untreated control by the addition of spermidine or spermine to the culture, but not by putrescine. These results suggested that spermidine and/or spermine, but not putrescine, play an important role in growth of cultured carrot cells.