Further identification of endogenous gibberellins in the shoots of pea, line g2

Occurrence of the transition of apical architecture and expression patterns of related genes during conversion of apical meristem identity in G2 pea

G2 pea exhibits an apical senescence delaying phenotype under short-day (SD) conditions; however, the structural basis for its apical development is still largely unknown. In the present study, the apical meristem of SD-grown G2 pea plants underwent a transition from vegetative to indeterminate inflorescence meristem, but the apical meristem of long-day (LD)-grown G2 pea plants would be further converted to determinate floral meristem. Both SD signal and GA(3) treatment enhanced expression of the putative calcium transporter PPF1, and pea homologs of TFL1 (LF and DET), whereas LD signal suppressed their expression at 60 d post-flowering compared with those at 40 d post-flowering. Both PPF1 and LF expressed at the vegetative and reproductive phases in SD-grown apical buds, but floral initiation obviously increased the expression level of PPF1 compared with the unchanged expression level of LF from 40 to 60 d post-flowering. In addition, although the floral initiation significantly enhanced the expression levels of PPF1 and DET, DET was mainly expressed after floral initiation in SD-grown apical buds. Therefore, the main structural difference between LD- and SD-grown apical meristem in G2 pea lies in whether their apical indeterminate inflorescence meristem could be converted to the determinate structure.

Hormone physiology of pea mutants prevented from flowering by mutations gi or veg1

The veg1 (vegetative) mutant in pea (Pisum sativum L.) does not flower under any circumstances and gi (gigas) mutants remain vegetative under certain conditions. gi plants are deficient in production of floral stimulus, whereas veg1 plants lack a response to floral stimulus. During long days in particular, these non-flowering mutant plants eventually enter a stable compact phase characterised by a large reduction in internode length, small leaves and growth of lateral shoots from the upper-stem (aerial) nodes. The first-order laterals in turn produce second-order laterals and so on in a reiterative pattern. The apical bud is reduced in size but continues active growth. Endogenous hormone measurements and gibberellin application studies with gi-1, gi-2 and veg1 plants indicate that a reduction in gibberellin and perhaps indole-3-acetic acid level may account, at least partially, for the compact aerial shoot phenotype. In the gi-1 mutant, the compact phenotype is rescued by transfer from a 24- to an 8-h photoperiod. We propose that in plants where flowering is prevented by a lack of floral stimulus or an inability to respond, the large reduction in photoperiod gene activity during long days may lead to a reduction in apical sink strength that is manifest in an altered hormone profile and weak apical dominance.

The Control of Apical Bud Growth and Senescence by Auxin and Gibberellin in Genetic Lines of Peas

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) lines G2 (dwarf) and NGB1769 (tall) (Sn Hr) produce flowers and fruit under long (LD) or short (SD) days, but senesce only under LD. Endogenous gibberellin (GA) levels were inversely correlated with photoperiod (over 9-18 h) and senescence: GA20 was 3-fold and GA1 was 10- to 11-fold higher in flowering SD G2 shoots, and the vegetative tissues within the SD apical bud contained 4-fold higher levels of GA20, as compared with the LD tissues. Prefloral G2 plants under both photoperiods had GA1 and GA20 levels similar to the flowering plants under LD. Levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) were similar in G2 shoots in LD or SD; SD apical bud vegetative tissues had a slightly higher IAA content. Young floral buds from LD plants had twice as much IAA as under SD. In NGB1769 shoots GA1 decreased after flower initiation only under LD, which correlated with the decreased growth potential. We suggest that the higher GA1 content of G2 and NGB1769 plants under SD conditions is responsible for the extended vegetative growth and continued meristematic activity in the shoot apex. This and the increased IAA level of LD floral buds may play a role in the regulation of nutrient partitioning, since more photosynthate partitions of reproductive tissue under LD conditions, and the rate of reproductive development in LD peas is faster than under SD.

[C]GA(12)-Aldehyde, [C]GA(12), and [H]- and [C]GA(53) Metabolism by Elongating Pea Pericarp

Gibberellins (GAs) are either required for, or at least promote, the growth of the pea (Pisum sativum L.) fruit. Whether the pericarp of the pea fruit produces GAs in situ and/or whether GAs are transported into the pericarp from the developing seeds or maternal plant is currently unknown. The objective of this research was to investigate whether the pericarp tissue contains enzymes capable of metabolizing GAs from [(14)C]GA(12)-7-aldehyde ([(14)C]GA(12)ald) to biologically active GAs. The metabolism of GAs early in the biosynthetic pathway, [(14)C]GA(12) and [(14)C]GA(12)ald, was investigated in pericarp tissue isolated from 4-day-old pea fruits. [(14)C]GA(12)ald was metabolized primarily to [(14)C]GA(12)ald-conjugate, [(14)C]GA(12), [(14)C]GA(53), and polar conjugate-like products by isolated pericarp. In contrast, [(14)C]GA(12) was converted primarily to [(14)C]GA(53) and polar conjugate-like products. Upon further investigations with intact 4-day-old fruits on the plant, [(14)C]GA(12) was found to be converted to a product which copurified with endogenous GA(20). Lastly, [(2)H]GA(20) and [(2)H]GA(1) were recovered 48 hours after application of [(2)H]- and [(14)C]GA(53) to pericarp tissue of intact 3-day-old pea fruits. These results demonstrate that pericarp tissue metabolizes GAs and suggests a function for pericarp GA metabolism during fruit growth.

Metabolism of Gibberellin A(12) and A(12)-Aldehyde in Developing Seeds of Pisum sativum L

Metabolism of [(14)C]gibberellin (GA) A(12) (GA(12)) and [(14)C]gibberellin A(12)-aldehyde (GA(12)-aldehyde) was examined in cotyledons and seed coats from developing seeds of pea (Pisum sativum L.). Both were metabolized to only 13-hydroxylated GAs in cotyledons but to 13-hydroxylated and non-13-hydroxylated GAs in seed coats. The metabolism of [(14)C]GA(12) was slower in seed coats than in cotyledons. [(14)C]GA(12)-aldehyde was also metabolized to conjugates in seed coats. Seed coat [(14)C]-metabolites produced from [(14)C]GA(12)-aldehyde were isolated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Conjugates were base hydrolyzed and the free GAs reisolated by HPLC and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. [(14)C]GA(53)-aldehyde, [(14)C]GA(12)-aldehyde conjugate, and [(14)C]GA(53)-aldehyde conjugate were major metabolites produced from [(14)C]GA(12)-aldehyde by seed coats aged 20-22 days or older. The dilution of (14)C in these compounds by (12)C, as compared to the supplied [(14)C]GA(12)-aldehyde, indicated that they are endogenous. Feeding [(14)C]GA(53)-aldehyde led to the production of [(14)C]GA(53)-aldehyde conjugate in seed coats and shoots and also to 13-hydroxylated GAs in shoots. Labeled GAs, recovered from plant tissue incubated with either [(14)C]GA(12), [(14)C]GA(12)-aldehyde, or [(3)H]GA(9), were used as appropriate markers for the recovery of endogenous GAs from seed coats or cotyledons. These GAs were purified by HPLC and identified and quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. GA(15), GA(24), GA(9), GA(51), GA(51)-catabolite, GA(20), GA(29), and GA(29)-catabolite were detected in seed coats, whereas GA(9), GA(53), GA(44), GA(19), GA(20), and GA(29) were found in cotyledons. The highest GA levels were for GA(20) and GA(29) in cotyledons (783 and 912 nanograms per gram fresh weight, respectively) and for GA(29) and GA(29)-catabolite in seed coats (1940 and > 1940 nanograms per gram fresh weight, respectively).