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The role of sucrose alone and in combination with different cytokinin-like compounds on the microtuberization of potato, Solanum tuberosum `Atlantic', was investigated. Single nodal segments were placed in Magenta boxes containing Murashige & Skoog medium supplemented with one of 15 treatments in a 3 × 5 factorial. Treatment factors were sucrose at 3%, 6%, or 9%, and cytokinin-like compounds at five levels [cytokinin-free; 2 mg kinetin/L; 0.1 mg thidiazuron (TDZ)/L; 1.0 mg AC 243,654/L; 0.1 mg AC 239,604/L]. Except in a few cases in kinetin and TDZ treatments, nearly all cytokinin treatments failed to induce tuberization at the 3% sucrose, noninductive level. However, all cytokinin treatments induced tuberization in the presence of 6% sucrose. By raising the sucrose level from 6% to 9%, more and larger microtubers were obtained in the cytokinin-free medium. At the 9% sucrose level, even though more tubers per box were produced by TDZ and AC 243,654 treatments, less total fresh weight of tubers per box resulted from kinetin, TDZ and AC 243,654 treatments because tubers formed were smaller. Higher sucrose concentrations (9%) favored tuberization in the cytokinin-free medium, whereas 6% sucrose was optimum for the medium containing cytokinins. Sucrose might produce a strong tuberization signal that might either change endogenous hormone levels affecting tuberization or activate a number of genes coding tuber proteins and enzymes related to starch synthesis.
The effects of different cytokinin-like compounds on invertase activities at different tuberization stages of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. `Atlantic') were examined. Single nodal segments were cultured on MS medium plus 6% sucrose and supplemented with either 2 mg kinetin/L, 0.1 mg thidiazuron (TDZ)/L, 1.0 mg AC 243,654/L, 0.1 mg AC 239,604/L, or no cytokinin. Tissue samples for determining invertase activity were taken at three stages of tuberization: stage 1, the “hook stage”; stage 2, the “swelling stage”; and stage 3, “tuber initials.” Invertase activity was significantly affected by the interaction between cytokinin-like compounds and tuberization between cytokinin-like compounds and tuberization stages. The highest invertase activities in the stolons at stage 1 were found in kinetin and TDZ treatments. Invertase activity in the stolons on the control medium significantly increased from stage 1 to 2 and decreased at stage 3. Invertase might play a role in either stolon elongation or carbohydrate utilization by increasing the pool of reducing sugars.