EN
Some posttranslational processes that occur in embryos of germinating triticale caryopses treated with different concentrations of abscisic acid (ABA) were examined. ABA increased the ratio of cytoskeleton-bound polysomes in the total population of polysomes and depressed the share of free and membrane-bound polysomes. Using exogenous RNase, stability of the total polysomal population as well as each polysomal fraction was investigated. The total extractable polysomes isolated from embryonic tissues of germinating triticale caryopses treated with ABA were more stable than the polysomes isolated from the control sample caryopses. The contribution of the polysomes that were not digested by RNase was increased by higher concentrations of ABA applied during germination. At high concentrations of ABA (50, 100 pM), the quantitative contribution of polysomes in the total ribosomal fraction was almost 100 % ofthe amount ofpolysomes before digestion and the modifications observed consisted mainly of the shift of the socalled heavy polysomes towards light polysomes, containing a few ribosomes. Within each polysomal population, cytoskeleton-bound polysomes (CBP and CMBP) were the most stable, which may imply that the bonds between polysomes and these protein filaments, created in all eukaryotic cells increased their stability. It is assumed that mRNAs are stabilised or destabilised by interaction of proteins with their various sequences. A plant hormone may depress or elevate the quantities of these proteins, thus regulating the stability of different mRNAs. The results confirm the multi-faceted mechanism of ABA-induced response, where one of the constituents is the effect ofABA on the stability ofmRNAs molecules. The coordinated regulation ofmRNAs synthesis and their stability provide plants with improved adaptability.