Abstract
Suspension-cultured cells of azuki bean do not grow in a liquid medium containing mannose (Man) but callus cells proliferate actively on agar medium converting Man to sucrose (Suc). In the present study, we examined the effects of Man on cell-growth and sugar composition in azuki-bean seedlings aseptically grown under the light/dark conditions.
Plant-seedlings were grown for 7 days on agar media containing MS salts supplemented with or without 90 mM Suc or Man. Man strongly inhibited the length, fresh weight and the cell-wall dry weight of roots, but it increased the levels of Suc, Glc and Fru of cells under both conditions. Man also inhibited cell-wall synthesis and cell-growth in shoots. Abundance of Suc in cotyledons implied an importance of its translocation to shoots.
We conclude that Man inhibits cell-wall synthesis and hence inhibiting cell-growth in the plants,unlike in callus cultures.
