PHYTOHORMONE ANALYSIS BY ENZYME IMMUNOASSAYS

This chapter deals with the technique of enzyme immunoassays (EIAs), their advantages and limitations. Phytohormones serve in higher plants as signal substances which are produced in very small amounts and trigger a variety of developmental responses. Evidence has been obtained during the last few decades that change in phytohormonal levels are caused by fungi in symbiotic as well as in parasitic interactions. Infection induces reactions in host tissues which enable, for example, the maintenance of source functions. An extreme situation is experienced in those cases where higher plants are externally provided with excess levels of phytohormones. Research on the function and importance of the phytohormonal status in mycorrhizal relations depends upon the availability of highly sensitive and specific methods for the quantification of individual phytohormones. The rapid development of sophisticated analytical tools has provided a respectable choice for the performance of complicated phytohormone determinations. The chapter further explains validation of enzyme immunoassays. © 1992 Academic Press Limited