Jasmonic Acid Stimulates Development of Rhizoids and Shoots in Fern Leaf Culture

Summary We studied the effects of jasmonic acid (JA) on rhizoid and adventitious shoot formation in leaf culture of the fern Platycerium bifurcatum (Cav.) C.Chr. Leaf explants were grown on modified MS medium without (control) or with 0.1, 1, 10, 100 μmol/L JA. JA promoted rhizoid development on leaves. Both the percentage of leaves with rhizoids and their number per explant increased in JA-treated leaves. Addition of JA to the medium enhanced shoot development on leaves. While on the control medium shoots arose mostly on the abaxial side of the leaf, JA induced shoot formation also on the adaxial side. Analysis of soluble proteins from 60-day-old JA-treated explants revealed several alterations in polypeptide patterns when compared with the control. These results strongly suggest that jasmonates may be involved in regulation of morphogenesis in the fern P. bifurcatum . Moreover, JA may interact with similar regulatory mechanisms in pteridophytes and angiosperms.