Abstract: As an important plant growth regulator-like substance,wood vinegar (WV) has been used in agriculture worldwide,but so far little information is available on its molecular mechanism which naturally limits its scope of application.In this study,the effects of WV on Arabidopsis thaniana growth were distinguished from cytokinin (6-Benzyadeninpurin,6-BA) in both genetic features detected by semi-quantitative PCR (SQ-PCR) and morphologic features identified by conditioncontrolled culture.Cytokinin-related genes such as ARR4, ARR5, ARR6, ARR7, ARR9 and ARR15 were regulated by WV at genetic level.At morphologic level,both of WV and cytokinin repressed the number of leaf and its expansion,elongated root and repressed lateral root formation.But roots treated with WV were longer but thinner than ones with cytokinin.Collectively,these findings indicated that WV’s regulation effect was quite similar to but different from cytokinin’s,contributing to its wider and more precise use in agriculture.

Key words: wood vinegar, cytokinin, 6-benzyadeninpurin, Arabidopsis thaniana responsible regulator (ARR), gene expression