EFFECT OF METHYL JASMONATE VAPORS ON LEVEL OF ANTHOCYANINS, BIOGENIC AMINES AND DECARBOXYLASES ACTIVITY IN SEEDLINGS OF CHOSEN VEGETABLE SPECIES

Seedlings of four vegetable species (maize, tomato, radish and onion) were treated for 7 days with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) vapors. MeJA accelerated senescence process of plant tissues and accumulation of anthocyanins. The only exception were hypocotyls of radish, which was found to decrease of the anthocyanin content under the influence of MeJA. It has been shown that MeJA has a different impact on the content of free biogenic amines. In case of leaves and epicotyls of maize and tomato hypocotyls, MeJA had no effect on levels of putrescine (Put). The leaves of tomatoes have shown to increase the putrescine level as a result of the impact of MeJA vapors. However, in the tissues of radish and onion very large decline in putrescine and spermidine content under the influence of the phytohormone were observed. The presence of small amounts of spermine was found only in tissues of radish, and onion, which does not affect the use of MeJA. In tissues of maize the presence of a significant content of 2-phenylethylamine (PEA) were found. Use for 7 days of MeJA vapors resulted in 3-fold increase in the content of the PEA in maize leaves. Small levels of the amine has also been found in tomato hypocotyls, where use of MeJA caused reduction its content. Obtained results show a little relationship between the activity of the studied enzymes (ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), lysine decarboxylase (LDC) and tyrosine decarboxylase (TYDC)) and the contents of the amines in seedlings of four vegetable species. No free cadaverine and tyramine were found, and therefore probably both polyamines might be present as conjugates. Putrescine also may be present in bound form. Moreover, since putrescine can be synthesized directly from ornithine or indirectly from arginine via agmatine, the activity of ODC alone did not give a full picture of the impact of MeJA on Put accumulation.