Abstract
The gibberellin (GA)-biosynthesis mutations, lh i, ls and Ie 5839 have been used to investigate the role(s) of the GAs in seed development of the garden pea (Pisum sativum L.). Seeds homozygous for lh i possess reduced GA levels, are more likely to abort during development, and weigh less at harvest, compared with wild-type seeds due to expression of the lh i mutation in the embryo and/ or endosperm. Compared with wild-type seeds, the lh i mutation reduces endogenous GA1 and gibberellic acid (GA3) levels in the embryo/endosperm a few days after anthesis and fertilizing lh i plants with wild-type pollen dramatically increases GA1 and GA3 levels in the embryo/ endosperm and restores normal seed development. By contrast, the ls and le 5839 mutations do not appear to reduce GA levels in the embryo/endosperm of seeds a few days after anthesis, and do not affect embryo or endosperm development. However, both the ls and lh i mutations substantially reduce endogenous GA levels in embryos at contact point (the first day the liquid endosperm disappears). Levels of GAs in seeds from crosses involving the ls and lh i mutations suggest that GAs are synthesised in both the embryo/endosperm and testa and that the expression of ls depends on the tissue and developmental stage examined. These results suggest that GAs (possibly GA1 and/or GA3) play an important role early in pea seed development by regulating the development of the embryo and/or endosperm. By contrast, the high GA levels found in wild-type seeds at contact point (and beyond) do not appear to have a physiological role in seed development.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- GAn :
-
gibberellin An
- DAA:
-
days after anthesis
- WT:
-
wild-type
References
Baldev, B., Lang, A., Agatep, A.O. (1965) Gibberellin production in pea seeds developing in excised pods: Effect of growth retardant AMO-1618. Science 147, 155–156
Barendse, G.W.M., Kepczynski, J., Karssen, C.M., Koornneef, M. (1986) The role of endogenous gibberellins during fruit and seed development: studies on gibberellin-deficient genotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana. Physiol. Plant. 67, 315–319
Brenner, M.L. (1987) The role of hormones in photosynthate partitioning and seed filling. In: Plant hormones and their role in growth and development, pp.474–93, Davies, P.J. ed., Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht
Fujioka, S., Yamane, H., Spray, C.R., Gaskin, P., MacMillan, J., Phinney, B.O., Takahashi, N. (1988) Qualitative and quantitative analyses of gibberellins in vegetative shoots of normal, dwarf-1, dwarf-2, dwarf-3, and dwarf-5 seedlings of Zea mays L. Plant Physiol. 88, 1367–1372
Garcia-Martinez J.L., Santes, C., Croker, S.J., Hedden, P. (1991) Identification, quantification and distribution of gibberellins in fruit of Pisum sativum L. cv. Alaska during pod development. Planta 184, 53–60
Garcia-Martinez, J.L., Sponsel, V.M., Gaskin, P. (1987) Gibberellins in developing fruits of Pisum sativum cv. Alaska: studies on their role in pod growth and seed development. Planta 170, 130–137
Gaskin, P., Gilmour, S. J., MacMillan, J., Sponsel, V.M. (1985) Gibberellins in immature seeds and dark-grown shoots of Pisum sativum. Planta 163, 283–289
Gaskin, P., MacMillan, J. (1991) GC-MS of the gibberellins and related compounds: Methodology and a library of spectra. University of Bristol (Cantocks Enterprises Ltd)
Graebe, J.E. (1987) Gibberellin biosynthesis and control. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 38, 419–465
Groot, S.P.C., Bruinsma, J., Karssen, CM. (1987) The role of endogenous gibberellin in seed and fruit development of tomato: studies with a gibberellin-deficient mutant. Physiol. Plant. 71, 184–190
Hasan, O., Ridoutt, B.G., Ross, J.J., Davies, N.W., Reid, J.B. (1994) Identification and quantification of endogenous gibberellins in apical buds and the cambial region of Eucalyptus. Physiol. Plant. 90, 475–480
Ingram, T.J., Reid, J.B. (1987) Internode length in Pisum. Gene na may block gibberellin synthesis between ent-7α-hydroxykaurenoic acid and gibberellin A12-aldehyde. Plant Physiol. 83, 1048–1053
Ingram, T.J., Reid, J.B., Murfet, I.C., Gaskin, P., Willis, C.L., MacMillan, J. (1984) Internode length in Pisum. The Le gene controls 3β-hydroxylation of gibberellin A20 to gibberellin A1. Planta 160, 455–463
Kamiya, Y., Graebe, J.E. (1983) The biosynthesis of all major pea gibberellins in a cell-free system from Pisum sativum. Phytochemistry 22, 681–689
Karssen, C.M. (1982) The role of endogenous hormones during seed development and the onset of primary dormancy. In: Plant growth substances 1982, pp. 623–632, Wareing, P.F. ed., Academic Press, London
Lenton, J.R., Hedden, P., Gale, M.D. (1987) Gibberellin insensitivity and depletion in wheat — consequences for development. In: Hormone action in plant development — A critical appraisal, pp. 145–160, Hoad, G.V., Lenton, J.R., Jackson, M.B., Atkin, B.K. eds., Butterworths, London
Pharis, R.P. and King, R.W. (1985) Gibberellins and reproductive development in seed plants. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 36, 517–568
Potts, W.C. (1986) Gibberellins in light-grown shoots of Pisum sativum L. and the influence of reproductive development. Plant Cell Physiol. 27: 997–1003
Reid, J.B. (1986) Internode length in Pisum. Three further loci, lh, ls and lk. Ann. Bot. 57, 577–592
Reid, J.B., Hasan, O, Ross, J.J. (1990) Internode length in Pisum. Gibberellins and the response to far-red-rich light. J. Plant Physiol. 137, 46–52
Reid, J.B., Potts, W.C. (1986) Internode length in Pisum. Two further mutants, lh and ls, with reduced gibberellin synthesis, and a gibberellin insensitive mutant, lk. Physiol. Plant. 66, 417–426
Reid, J.B., Ross, J.J. (1993) A mutant-based approach, using Pisum sativum, to understanding plant growth. Int. J. Plant Sci. 154, 22–34
Reid, J.B., Ross, J.J., Swain, S.M. (1992) Internode length in Pisum. A new, slender mutant with elevated levels of C19 gibberellins. Planta 188, 462–467
Ross, J.J., Reid, J.B. (1991) Internode length in Pisum: le5839 is a less severe allele than Mendel's le. Pisum Genetics 23, 29–34
Ross, J.J., Reid, J.B., Dungey, H.S. (1992) Ontogenetic variation in levels of gibberellin A1 in Pisum. Implications for the control of stem elongation. Planta 186, 166–171
Ross, J.J., Reid, J.B., Gaskin, P., MacMillan, J. (1989) Internode length in Pisum. Estimation of GA1 levels in genotypes Le, le and le d. Physiol. Plant. 76, 173–176
Ross, J.J., Reid, J.B., Swain, S.M. (1993) Control of stem elongation by gibberellin A1: evidence from genetic studies including the slender mutant, sln. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 20, 585–599
Santes, C.M., Hedden, P., Sponsel, V.M., Reid, J.B., GarcíaMartínez, J.L. (1993) Expression of the le mutation in young ovaries of Pisum sativum and its effect on fruit development. Plant Physiol. 101, 759–764
Smith, V.A., Knatt, C.J., Gaskin, P., Reid, J.B. (1992) The distribution of gibberellins in vegetative tissues of Pisum sativum L. I. Biological and biochemical consequences of the le mutation. Plant Physiol. 99, 368–371
Swain, S.M. (1993) Gibberellins and Seed Development in Pisum. Ph.D. Thesis (University of Tasmania)
Swain, S.M., Reid, J.B. (1992) Internode length in Pisum. A new allele at the Lh locus. Physiol. Plant. 86, 124–130
Swain, S.M., Reid, J.B., Ross, J.J. (1993) Seed development in Pisum. The lh iallele reduces gibberellin levels in developing seeds, and increases seed abortion. Planta 191, 482–488
Yeung, E.C., Meinke, D.W. (1993) Embryogenesis in Angiosperms: development of the suspensor. Plant Cell 10, 1371–1381
Zeevaart, J.A.D. (1966) Reduction of gibberellin content of pharbitis seeds by CCC and after-effects in the progeny. Plant Physiol. 41, 856–862
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
We thank Noel Davies, Katherine McPherson and Peter Bobbi for technical assistance, Professor L. Mander (ANU, Canberra) for dideuterated GA standards, and the Australian Research Council and Frontier Research Program, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN, Japan), for financial support.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Swain, S.M., Ross, J.J., Reid, J.B. et al. Gibberellins and pea seed development. Planta 195, 426–433 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00202601
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00202601