POLYAMINE LEVELS IN CROWN GALL TUMOR AND TERATOMA

The levels of polyamines in two morphological types of transformed tissue [crown gall tumour (undifferentiated) and teratoma (shooty tumour)] and of untransformed differentiating callus tissue growing in hormone-containing media were compared. In crown gall tumour, putrescine (Put)>spermidine (Spd)>spermine (Spm), whereas this pattern was reversed in the case of teratoma. In differentiating callus, Spd>Spm>Put. The difference in polyamine levels in crown gall tumour and teratoma suggests that rapidly growing transformed tissue need not necessarily contain high Put levels and relative levels of various polyamines is associated with the characteristics of a tumour type