Research - Research Topics

Polyamines (PAs), low molecular mass polycations, are ubiquitous cell components that are essential for normal growth of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Most of the biological functions of PAs can be explained by their polycationic nature, which facilitates interactions with anionic macromolecules (such as DNA and RNA) and negatively charged groups of membranes. They are implicated in a wide range of biological processes including cell division and growth, morphogenesis and differentiation and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. The most abundant PAs in plants are putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm).

The process of plant somatic embryogenesis allows the acquisition of a large number of genetically identical individuals. That fact is used in practice to obtain a rich progeny from a minimal number of seeds. At the same time, somatic embryogenesis is an ideal system for studying the early stages of plant development. Somatic embryogenesis starts by the derivation of embryogenic culture, mostly from zygotic embryos. Embryogenic cultures are cultivated in vitro on precisely defined media, whose composition determines further development of somatic embryos. In conifers the whole process consists of five basic steps - induction of embryogenic culture, proliferation, maturation of somatic embryos, desiccation and germination.