Stimulation of shoot elongation in Salix pentandra by gibberellin A9; activity appears to be dependent upon hydroxylation to GAl via GA20

Abstract

Cessation of shoot elongation in seedlings of Salix pentandra L. is induced by short photoperiod. Gibbereliin A9 (GA9) applied either to the apical bud or injected into a mature leaf, induced shoot elongation under a short photoperiod of 12 h, and GA9 could completely substitute for a transfer to a long photoperiod. When [3H]GA9 or [2H2]GA9 was injected into a leaf, no [3H]GA9 was detected in the elongating apex and only traces of [3H]GA9 were found in the shoot above the treated leaf. By the use of gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS), [2H2]GA20 was identified as the main metabolite of [2H2]GA9 in both the shoot and the treated leaf. In addition, [2H2]GA1 and [2H2]GA29 were also identified as metabolites of [2H2]GA9. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that exogenous GA, promotes shoot elongation in Salix through its metabolism to GA20 and GA,.