Brassinosteroids Accelerate the Rate of Cell Division in Isolated Petal Protoplasts of Petunia hybrida

Brassinosteroids are known to promote cell elongation in a wide range of plant species but their effect on cell division has not been extensively studied. The effect of brassinolide on the kinetics and final division frequencies of regenerating petal protoplasts of Petunia hybrida Vilm v. Comanche was examined. Under optimal auxin and cytokinin conditions, 10-100 nM brassinolide not only reduced the time of first cell division by 4.5 days but also altered the final division frequencies after 10 days of culture. One micromolar brassinolide showed the same acceleration of first cell division but inhibited the final division frequency by approximately 9%. Under sub-optimal auxin conditions, 10-100 nM brassinolide accelerated the first cell division, but no significant increase in the 8-10 days final division frequencies. Isolated protoplasts may provide a useful model system for the investigation of the molecular mechanisms of brassinosteroid action on cell division and proliferation in higher plants.