Among the multiple environmental signals and hormonal factors regulatingpotato plant morphogenesis and controlling tuber induction, jasmonates (JAs)andgibberellins (GAs) are important components of the signalling pathways in theseprocesses. In the present study, with Solanum tuberosum L.cv. Spunta, we followed the endogenous changes of JAs and GAs during thedevelopmental stages of soil-grown potato plants. Foliage at initial growthshowed the highest jasmonic acid (JA) concentration, while in roots the highestcontent was observed in the stage of tuber set. In stolons at the developmentalstage of tuber set an important increase of JA was found; however, in tubersthere was no change in this compound during tuber set and subsequent growth.Methyl jasmonate (Me-JA) in foliage did not show the same pattern as JA; Me-JAdecreased during the developmental stages in which it was monitored, meanwhileJA increased during those stages. The highest total amount of JAs expressed asJA + Me-JA was found at tuber set. A very important peak ofJA in roots was coincident with that observed in stolons at tuber set. Also, aprogressive increase of this compound in roots was shown during the transitionof stolons to tubers. Of the two GAs monitored, gibberellic acid(GA3) was the most abundant in all the organs. While GA1and GA3 were also found in stolons at the time of tuber set, noothermeasurements of GAs were obtained for stolons at previous stages of plantdevelopment. Our results indicate that high levels of JA and GAs are found indifferent tissues, especially during stolon growth and tuber set.

The aims of this study were to demonstrate the endogenous presence of jasmonic acid (JA) in roots, stolons and periderm of new formed tubers, by means of bioassays, ELISA and GC-MS, and to test a microdrop bioassay using the leaflets of potato cuttings cultured in vitro. Our results confirm the existence of JA by bioassays and GC-MS in foliage, stolons, roots and tuber periderm.