Kinetin--a multiactive molecule.
Cytokinins are important adenine derivatives that serve as hormones to control many processes in plants. They were discovered as factors that promote cell division in tobacco tissue cultures and have been shown also to regulate several other developmental events. Kinetin which was isolated 50 years ago for the first time as a plant hormone, as well as other cytokinins isopentenyladenine, zeatin and benzylaminopurine induce callus (clusters of dedifferentiated plant cells) to redifferentiate into adventitious buds. Because of some similarities in the biological phenotypes of cancer and callus cells, cytokinins and especially kinetin, affect the differentiation of human cells through a common signal transduction system. Therefore, cytokinins found their way to use in molecular medicine.
Barciszewski
Jan
J
Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12, 61-704 Poznan, Poland. Jan.Barciszewski@ibch.poznan.pl
Massino
Frank
F
Clark
Brian F C
BF
D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007701:Kinetin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000378:metabolism*; D015026:Zeatin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D015026:Zeatin; D007701:Kinetin