Comparison of the growth promoting activities and toxicities of various auxin analogs on cells derived from wild type and a nonrooting mutant of tobacco.

A naphthaleneacetic acid tolerant mutant isolated from a mutagenized culture of tobacco mesophyll protoplasts and impaired in root morphogenesis has been previously characterized by genetic analysis. To understand the biochemical basis for naphthaleneacetic acid resistance, cells derived from this mutant and from wild-type tobacco were compared for their ability to respond to various growth regulators. The growth promoting abilities and cytotoxicities of auxin analogs were different for mutant and wild-type cells. These different activities were not correlated with increased rate of conjugation or breakdown of the auxins by mutant cells. These observations, as well as previous studies on the interaction of the mutant with Agrobacterium, suggest that mutant resistance to auxins is not a result of a specific modification of the process by which auxins induce cell killing, but to a more general alteration of the cellular response to auxin. A screening of auxin-related molecules which induce cell death in wild-type cells but not mutant cells without promoting growth in either was performed. p-Bromophenyleacetic acid was found to display these characteristics.