The Changes in Hormonal Status and Photosynthesis of the Potato Plants Transformed by the Bt-Gene
The hormonal status, photosynthesis rate and productivity of non-transformed and <i>Bt</i>-gene transformed potato plants of the Superior variety were studied. It was shown that during forced dormancy in the eyes of tubers of transformed plants, the ABA content was two times higher than non-transformed ones, while the content of IAA and zeatin was 1.5 times lower. The ratio of zeatin/ABA and, to a greater extent, IAA/ABA was below control. In the leaves of transgenic plants, the ABA level was 40% lower than the non-transformed ones, the zeatin/ABA ratio remained low, but the IAA/ABA ratio increased. Against the background of this hormonal situation, the assimilation of <sup>14</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> in the leaves of transgenic plants increased by 24%, but lower productivity (by 21%) when grown in soil culture was noted. In transformed plants, a smaller number of tubers in the bush and a decrease in the starch content in them were revealed, which may indicate a violation of the initiation of the tuberization process and the outflow of assimilates from the leaves.