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Gibberellins and antheridiogen on sex in Blechnum spicant L.

  • Physiology and Biochemistry
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Abstract

The role of gibberellins (GAs) in determining sex in the gametophyte of the fern Blechnum spicant L. was studied through (a) the effect of exogenous GA4+7 and GA3 (b) quantitation of the endogenous levels of GA1, GA3, GA4, GA7, GA9, and GA20 in male and female gametophytes, and (c) the effect of flurprimidol, a GAs biosynthesis inhibitor of the steps of oxidation of ent-kaureno to ent-kaurenoic acid. Our results show that GA4+7 had a slight effect of inducing either male or female sexual organs, antheridia and archegonia, respectively. The endogenous GAs content was not significantly different between sexes, but the GA4, GA7, and GA20 levels were raised above those of the other GAs in both sexes. Neither antheridiogen biosynthesis nor antheridia formation was inhibited by flurprimidol. Gametophytes regenerated from homogenized mature gametophytes (HG) show a different physiological behavior than spore-derived gametophytes. In the first case, gametophytes are males and synthesize antheridiogen before they attain maturity, in contrast to what occurs in spore-derived gametophytes which are females and synthesize antheridiogen when mature.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

abscisic acid

AC:

active charcoal

DW:

dry weight

GAs:

gibberellins

HG:

homogenized mature gametophytes

HPLC:

high performance liquid chromatography

MS:

Murashige and Skoog mineral medium (1962)

WMS:

MS medium without the cellular contents released during homogenization

m/z :

ratio of mass to charge

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Scientific Programme Ramón & Cajal.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Department of B.O.S., c) Catedrático R. Uría s/n, 33071, Oviedo, Spain

    V. Menéndez, M. A. Revilla, V. Gotor & H. Fernández

  2. Department of Química Orgánica e Inorgánica, c) Julián Clavería s/n, 33071, Oviedo, Spain

    P. Bernard

Authors
  1. V. Menéndez
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  2. M. A. Revilla
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  3. P. Bernard
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  4. V. Gotor
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  5. H. Fernández
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Communicated by H. van Onckelen

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Menéndez, V., Revilla, M.A., Bernard, P. et al. Gibberellins and antheridiogen on sex in Blechnum spicant L.. Plant Cell Rep 25, 1104–1110 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-006-0149-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-006-0149-y

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