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Gibberellins in dark- and red-light-grown shoots of dwarf and tall cultivars of Pisum sativum: The quantification, metabolism and biological activity of gibberellins in Progress no. 9 and Alaska

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Abstract

The stem growth in darkness or in continuous red light of two pea cultivars, Alaska (Le Le, tall) and Progress No. 9 (le le, dwarf), was measured for 13 d. The lengths of the first three internodes in dark-grown seedlings of the two cultivars were similar, substantiating previous literature reports that Progress No. 9 has a tall phenotype in the dark. The biological activity of gibberellin A20 (GA20), which is normally inactive in le le geno-types, was compared in darkness and in red light. Alaska seedlings, regardless of growing conditions, responded to GA20. Dark-grown seedlings of Progress No. 9 also responded to GA20, although red-light-grown seedlings did not. Gibberellin A1 was active in both cultivars, in both darkness and red light. The metabolism of [13C3H]GA20 has also been studied. In dark-grown shoots of Alaska and Progress No. 9 [13C3H]GA20 is converted to [13C3H]GA1, [13C3H]GA8, [13C]GA29, its 2α-epimer, and [13C3H]GA29-catabolite. [13C3H] Gibberellin A1 was a minor product which appeared to be rapidly turned over, so that in some feeds only its metabolite, [13C3H]GA8, was detected. However results do indicate that the tall growth habit of Progress No. 9 in the dark, and its ability to respond to GA20 in the dark may be related to its capacity to 3β-hydroxylate GA20 to give GA1. In red light the overall metabolism of [13C3H]GA20 was reduced in both cultivars. There is some evidence that 3β-hydroxylation of [13C3H]GA20 can occur in red light-grown Alaska seedlings, but no 3β-hydroxylated metabolites of [13C3H]GA20 were observed in red light-grown Progress. Thus the dwarf habit of Progress No. 9 in red light and its inability to respond to GA20 may be related, as in other dwarf genotypes, to its inability to 3β-hydroxylate GA20 to GA1. However identification and quantification of native GAs in both cultivars showed that red-light-grown Progress does contain native GA1. Thus the inability of red light-grown Progress No. 9 seedlings to respond to, and to 3β-hydroxylate, applied GA20 may be due to an effect of red light on uptake and compartmentation of GAs.

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Abbreviations

AMO-1618:

2′-isopropyl-4′-(trimethylammonium chloride)-5′-methylphenyl piperidine-1-carboxylate

cv.:

cultivar

GC-MS:

gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

GA(n) :

gibberellin A(n)

HPLC:

high-pressure liquid chromatography

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  1. Agricultural and Food Research Council Research Group, School of Chemistry, The University, BS8 1TS, Bristol, UK

    V. M. Sponsel

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Sponsel, V.M. Gibberellins in dark- and red-light-grown shoots of dwarf and tall cultivars of Pisum sativum: The quantification, metabolism and biological activity of gibberellins in Progress no. 9 and Alaska. Planta 168, 119–129 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407018

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407018

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