Endogenous levels of gibberellins, IAA and cytokinins in Catharanthus crown gall tissues of different tumor types

Endogenous levels of gibberellins, auxins and cytokinins in crown gall tissues of Catharanthus roseus G. Don. (Vinca rosea L.) of two different tumor types, induced by a nopaline-type and an octopine-type Ti-plasmid, were examined. The levels of gibberellins were higher in nopaline-type V208 cells than in octopine-type V277 cells. GA12 and GA24 were identified from V208 cells. The level of IAA was 20-fold higher in V208 cells than in V277 cells. The level of trans-ribosylzeatin was higher in V277 cells than in V208 cells, whereas trans-zeatin was present at higher levels in V208 cells than in V277 cells. Our results revealed that the production of gibberellins, as well as of IAA and cytokinins, in the crown gall tissues of Catharanthus roseus differed between the octopine- and nopaline-type tumors, even though the crown galls apparently grow as unorganized aggregates of cells in both cases.