Among shoots of Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl raised in vitro, 76% rooted after culture on root induction medium for 5 days in darkness followed by culture on root expression medium for 15 days in light. The addition of 20.7 microM indole-butyric acid (IBA) to the root induction medium did not significantly increase the rooting percentage (88%). Putrescine, spermidine, cyclohexylamine (CHA) and aminoguanidine (AG) enhanced rooting up to 100% (98.66% for AG), when applied during root induction in the absence of IBA, otherwise these compounds inhibited rooting, as did spermine and difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) + difluoromethylarginine (DFMA). The root induction phase was characterized by a temporary increase in endogenous free indole-acetic acid (IAA) and putrescine concentrations during root induction, whereas the root expression phase was characterized by increased peroxidase activity and low concentrations of polyamines. These changes were specifically associated with the rooting process and did not depend on the presence of exogenous IBA, because application of exogenous IBA enhanced the amount of IAA in the cuttings but did not affect rooting or the pattern of changes in polyamines and peroxidase. The effects of CHA, AG and DFMO + DFMA on endogenous concentrations of auxins and polyamines highlight the close relationship between the effects of IAA and putrescine in root induction and suggest that polyamine catabolism has an important role in root formation and elongation.