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4-Chlorophenoxyacetic Acid as a Regulator of Ontogenesis in Parthenocarpic Fruits of Tomato

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Abstract

The effect of synthetic auxin 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4-CPA) on the ontogenesis of fruits was studied in tomato. Pollination of flowers of Solanum lycopersicum L., cv. Slivovidnyi, brought about the production in the ovaries of auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) governing fruit development. The treatment of castrated flowers with 4-CPA also induced IAA synthesis in the ovaries, which caused the formation of parthenocarpic fruits that reached complete ripeness 6 days earlier, and their biomass was 17% greater than in seed-bearing fruits. The content of abscisic acid, evolution of ethylene, and the rate of respiration were greater in parthenocarpic fruits than in seed-bearing fruits during almost the whole period of development, but these parameters changed identically in both types of treatment. Removal from the growing fruits of emerging seeds (the main sources of auxin) caused a complete termination of fruit growth that recommenced to the normal level upon replacement of ovules with a source of exogenous auxin: IAA or 4-CPA. The obtained data not only suggest that synthetic auxin participates in the initiation of parthenocarpic fruit growth via stimulation of synthesis of endogenous IAA but also show a possibility of IAA-independent regulation of fruit development in all the stages up to ripening.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 127276, Moscow, Russia

    V. V. Karyagin, O. N. Prudnikova & V. Yu. Rakitin

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  1. V. V. Karyagin
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  2. O. N. Prudnikova
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  3. V. Yu. Rakitin
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Correspondence to V. V. Karyagin.

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This article does not contain any studies involving animals or human participants performed by any of the authors.

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Additional information

Translated by N. Balakshina

Abbreviations: 4-CPA—4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid.

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Karyagin, V.V., Prudnikova, O.N. & Rakitin, V.Y. 4-Chlorophenoxyacetic Acid as a Regulator of Ontogenesis in Parthenocarpic Fruits of Tomato. Russ J Plant Physiol 67, 802–808 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S102144372004007X

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S102144372004007X

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