Exogenous and endogenous growth regulators on apogamy in Dryopteris affinis (Lowe) Fraser-Jenkins sp. affinis

This work showed for the first time the relationship between the effect of exogenous auxins and gibberellins on apogamy in Dryopteris affinis (Lowe) Fraser-Jenkins sp. affinis and its endogenous contents during early apogamic events. The addition of NAA (0.53 and 5.37 micromolar) or GA3 2.8 micromolar to an MS solid medium significantly increased apogamous sporophyte formation. BA induced brown callus that regenerated sporophytes in a hormone-free medium. The endogenous contents of GA1, GA3, GA4, GA7, GA9 and IAA were determined by GC-MS in gametophytes cultured on MS solid medium, before and during early stages of apogamous embryo development. The accumulation of both GA9 and IAA before embryo development was evident as high levels of GA4 in the earliest analysed stage of embryo development and high levels of GA3 in elongating shoots were found. The role of gibberellins on apogamy was also supported by data showing a decrease in the percentage of gametophytes developing embryos because of the addition of flurprimidol to the culture medium.