Abstract
Polyadenylated mRNA obtained from excised pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo. L. cv. Halloween) cotyledons incubated with or without N6-benzyladenine (BA) for various periods of time using two culture techniques was assayed by translation in vitro in the presence of [35S]methionine, and the synthesized proteins were analyzed by 2-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Specific sequences of mRNA were enhanced, reduced, induced or suppressed by the hormone. The earliest observable mRNA changes occur within 60 min of the application of BA to the excised cotyledons in the suspension culture. However, it requires 7.5 h of BA incubation in the filter paper culture to induce detectable changes in the mRNA population.