The in vitro corn embryo-to-adult growth in deuterium depleted water conditions

It is known the essential role of water in living organisms. Some studies showed the biological significance of deuterium in animals and plants. The effect of deuterium on growth of principal root and coleoptile of Zea mays L. embryos was studied in this work. Deuterium-depleted water (DDW) medium (23 ppm D/D + H) was used for in vitro experiment in comparison with a control medium containing distillate water. Three Zea mays L. genotypes were used as biological material: a heterozygote one (Andreea breed) and two homozygotes (Lc 592/1999, Lc 593/1999), maternal and paternal lines of Andreea breed. The inhibition time before the embryos dislocation was 16 hours. For culture media preparation, distillate water (150 ppm D/D + H) was used for the first variant, and DDW (23 ppm D/D + H) for the second one. The medium was prepared using Reinert and Yeoman method (1982). The roots and coleoptiles of plants were measured after 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 6 days. Data were statistically processed using the variation analysis method. The daily growth rhythm of the roots cultivated on DDW medium was higher than the control (distillate water) medium at the homozygote lines. The differences were d = + 0.36 cm and d = + 0.15 cm after 3 days. The difference was higher after 6 days for homozygote from Lc 592 (d = + 0.43 cm). At the heterozygote form the daily growth rhythm was inhibited after 3 days and also after 6 days (d = - 0.03 cm and d = - 0.03 cm). Daily growth rhythm of coleoptile was repressed by DDW medium for both the homozygote and heterozygote forms. In comparison with control, the differences were negative and small for homozygote forms (d = - 0.16 cm at Lc 592 and d = - 0.08 cm at Lc 593). After 6 days, the coleoptile daily growth rhythm of heterozygote form was higher (+ 1.48 cm) comparative with the control. The growth of root in DDW medium was repressed for all genotypes as well as the heterozygote root growth. The inhibition was not significantly influenced compared with the control. (authors)