ULTRASTRUCTURE OF AUXIN-INDUCED TUMORS OF THE COLEORHIZA-EPIBLAST OF WHEAT.

When wheat is germinated in high concentrations of certain auxins, the coleorhiza-epiblast grows in an excessive and disorganized manner and resembles a callus. Wheat was germinated in 10-3 M indoleacetic acid or in water. There was greater net synthesis of DNA, RNA, and protein in the tumor tissue than in control tissue. Control and tumor tissue was fixed for electron microscopy 1, 2, 3, and 4 days after sowing. In contrast to the controls, many more lipoidal bodies appeared in 1-day-old, auxin-treated tissue and thereafter diminished in number. In 2- and 3-day-old tumor tissue, small membraneous fragments were prominent but disappeared in older tissue. With time, the following changes became progressively more pronounced: cytoplasmic vacuolation, appearance of myelin figures, polyribosome configurations and extensive profiles of rough endoplasmic reticulum, and sloughing of cytoplasmic contents into and accumulation of electron-dense material in vacuoles. Possible factors in susceptibility of certain tissues to tumor formation are discussed.