Role of acetylcholine and acetylcholinesterase in improving abiotic stress resistance/tolerance.

Abiotic stress that plants face may impact their growth and limit their productivity. In response to abiotic stress, several endogenous survival mechanisms get activated, including the synthesis of quaternary amines in plants. Acetylcholine (ACh), a well-known quaternary amine, and its components associated with cholinergic signaling are known to contribute to a variety of physiological functions.

Acetylcholine suppresses shoot formation and callusing in leaf explants of in vitro raised seedlings of tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Miller var. Pusa Ruby.

We present experimental evidence to show that acetylcholine (ACh) causes decrease in shoot formation in leaf explants of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller var Pusa Ruby) when cultured on shoot regeneration medium. The optimum response was obtained at 10(-4) M ACh-enriched medium. ACh also causes decrease in percentage of cultures forming callus and reduces the callus mass.

Nicotine promotes rooting in leaf explants of in vitro raised seedlings of tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Miller var. Pusa Ruby.

Nicotine promotes rooting in leaf explants of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller var. Pusa Ruby). Nicotine at 10(-9) to 10(-3) M concentrations was added to the MS basal medium.

Acetylcholine causes rooting in leaf explants of in vitro raised tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller) seedlings.

The animal neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) induces rooting and promotes secondary root formation in leaf explants of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller var. Pusa Ruby), cultured in vitro on Murashige and Skoog's medium. The roots originate from the midrib of leaf explants and resemble taproot.