GA Catabolic Genes Research Articles

Inhibition of flowering by gibberellins in the woody plant Jatropha curcas is restored by overexpression of JcFT

Jatropha curcas (J. curcas) is a perennial oil-seed plant with vigorous vegetative growth but relatively poor reproductive growth and low seed yield. Gibberellins (GAs) promotes flowering in most annual plants but inhibits flowering in many woody plants, including J. curcas. However, the underlying mechanisms of GA inhibits flowering in perennial woody plants remain unclear. Here, we found that overexpression of the GA biosynthesis gene JcGA20ox1 inhibits flowering in J. curcas and in J. curcas × J. integerrima hybrids. Consistent with this finding, overexpression of the GA catabolic gene JcGA2ox6 promotes flowering in J. curcas. qRTPCR revealed that inhibits floral transition by overexpressing JcGA20ox1 resulted from a decrease in the expression of JcFT and other flowering-related genes, which was restored by overexpressing JcFT in J. curcas. Overexpression of JcGA20ox1 or JcGA2ox6 reduced seed yield, but overexpression of JcFT significantly increased seed yield. Furthermore, hybridization experiments showed that the reduction in seed yield caused by overexpression of JcGA20ox1 or JcGA2ox6 was partially restored by the overexpression of JcFT. In addition, JcGA20ox1, JcGA2ox6 and JcFT were also found to be involved in the regulation of seed oil content and endosperm development. In conclusion, our study revealed that the inhibitory effect of GA on flowering is mediated through JcFT and demonstrated the effects of JcGA20ox1, JcGA2ox6 and JcFT on agronomic traits in J. curcas. This study also indicates the potential value of GA metabolism genes and JcFT in the breeding of new varieties of woody oil-seed plants.

Catalase associated with antagonistic changes of abscisic acid and gibberellin response, biosynthesis and catabolism is involved in eugenol-inhibited seed germination in rice.

The inhibitory effect of eugenol on rice germination is mediated by a two-step modulatory process: Eugenol first regulates the antagonism of GA and ABA, followed by activation of catalase activity. The natural monoterpene eugenol has been reported to inhibit preharvest sprouting in rice. However, the inhibitory mechanism remains obscure. In this study, simultaneous monitoring of GA and ABA responses by thein vivoGA and ABA-responsive dual-luciferase reporter system showed that eugenol strongly inhibited the GA response after 6h of imbibition, whereas eugenol significantly enhanced the ABA response after 12h of imbibition. Gene expression analysis revealed that eugenol significantly induced the ABA biosynthetic genes OsNCED2, OsNCED3, and OsNCED5, but notably suppressed the ABA catabolic genes OsABA8ox1 and OsABA8ox2. Conversely, eugenol inhibited the GA biosynthetic genes OsGA3ox2 and OsGA20ox4 but significantly induced the GA catabolic genes OsGA2ox1 and OsGA2ox3 during imbibition.OsABI4,the key signaling regulator of ABA and GA antagonism, was notably induced before 12h and suppressed after 24h by eugenol. Moreover, eugenol markedly reduced the accumulation of H2O2in seeds after 36h of imbibition. Further analysis showed that eugenol strongly induced catalase activity, protein accumulation, and the expression of three catalase genes. Most importantly, mitigation of eugenol-inhibited seed germination was found in thecatcmutant. These findings indicate that catalase associated with antagonistic changes of ABA and GA is involved in the sequential regulation of eugenol-inhibited seed germination in rice.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis and melatonin synergistically suppress heat-induced leaf senescence involves in abscisic acid, gibberellin, and cytokinin-mediated pathways in perennial ryegrass

Leaf senescence is a prominent symptom of heat injury observed in cool-season plants. The application of melatonin (MT) and inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi can mitigate heat-induced leaf senescence. The current research aims to examine the individual and combined effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) inoculation and MT application on heat-related leaf senescence in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). In addition, whether the effects of these treatments were in any way associated with abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin (GA), and cytokinin (CTK) for exerting the bioactivity. According to the results, the suppression of heat-mediated leaf senescence using MT treatment and AM inoculation manifested as increased photosynthesis, turf quality (TQ), and plant growth, and reduced membrane lipid peroxidation levels as well as the chlorophyll catabolic genes (CCGs) and senescence-associated genes (LpSAG12.1 and Lph36) transcript levels in the heat-stressed plants. MT application and AM inoculation elevated the internal MT, GA, and CTK levels, while reducing the ABA levels in the heat-stressed plants. In addition, the MT biosynthesis genes (LpTDC1, LpTDC2, LpCOMT1, LpASMT1, and LpASMT3), the ABA catabolic gene, the GA biosynthesis genes, CTK biosynthesis genes, along with the associated signal transduction response transcription factors (TFs) (type-B ARRs) exhibited increased levels, whereas the expressions of the GA and CTK catabolic genes and the biosynthesis and signal transduction genes related to ABA exhibited decreased levels after MT application and AM inoculation in the heat-stressed plants. Furthermore, the application of exogenous MT notably elevated the AM colonization rate at high temperature (HT) condition. After 28 days of heat stress, compared to the treatment with neither AMF nor MT application, AM combined with MT achieved a synergistic effect, resulting in a 25.32%, 87.21%, 58.69%, 57.17%, and 28.46% increase in TQ, leaf chlorophyll content, net photosynthesis (Pn), leaf photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), and relative water content (RWC), respectively, in perennial ryegrass. Additionally, this treatment significantly reduced the electrolyte leakage (EL), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels by 30.76%, 38.19%, and 31.95%, respectively, and also significantly reduced the transcription levels of CCGs and senescence-associated genes. Consequently, it was inferred that a combination of AM and MT treatments promotes plant growth and development and suppresses heat-induced leaf senescence in plants.

Transcriptome Profiling Provides New Insights into the Molecular Mechanism Underlying the Sensitivity of Cotton Varieties to Mepiquat Chloride.

Mepiquat chloride (MC) is a plant growth regulator widely used in cotton production to control vegetative overgrowth of cotton plants to achieve ideal plant architecture required for high yielding. Cotton varieties respond differently to MC application, but there is little information about the molecular mechanisms underlying the varietal difference. In this study, comparative transcriptome analysis was conducted by using two Upland cotton varieties with different sensitivity (XLZ74, insensitive; SD1068, sensitive) to MC treatment, aiming to understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for varietal difference of MC sensitivity. RNA-seq data were generated from the two varieties treated with MC or water at three time points, 1, 3 and 6 days post-spray (dps). Genes differentially expressed between the MC and mock treatments of XLZ74 (6252) and SD1068 (6163) were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses to compare the enriched GO terms and KEGG pathways between the two varieties. Signal transduction of phytohormones, biosynthesis of gibberellins (GAs) and brassinosteroids (BRs) and profiles of transcription factors (TFs) seemed to be differentially affected by MC in the two varieties. The transcriptomic results were further consolidated with the content changes of phytohormones in young stem. Several GA catabolic genes, GA2ox, were highly induced by MC in both varieties especially in SD1068, consistent with a more significant decrease in GA4 in SD1068. Several AUX/IAA and SAUR genes and CKX genes were induced by MC in both varieties, but with a more profound effect observed in SD1068 that showed a significant reduction in indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and a significant increase in cytokinin (CTK) at 6 days post-spray (dps). BR biosynthesis-related genes were downregulated in SD1068, but not in XLZ74. Additionally, more downregulated TFs were observed in MC-treated SD1068 than in MC-treated XLZ74, and the two varieties had very different profiles of genes involved in starch and sucrose metabolism, with those of SD1068 and XLZ74 being downregulated and upregulated by MC treatment, respectively. Together, these results indicate that although the same or similar biological pathways are affected by MC treatment in cotton varieties showing different MC sensitivity, the extent of effect is variable, leading to their different phenotypic outcomes. How the quantitative effect of MC on the biological processes associated with growth retardation is regulated is still an open question.

The miR166 mediated regulatory module controls plant height by regulating gibberellic acid biosynthesis and catabolism in soybean.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non-coding RNAs that play critical roles in regulating plant growth and development. Here, we used Short Tandem Target Mimic (STTM) technology to generate soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) miRNA knockdown lines and identify miRNAs that regulate plant height, a key agronomic trait that affects yield. STTM166 successfully silenced miR166 in soybean and upregulated the expression of miR166 target genes, such as ATHB14-LIKE. The miR166 knockdown lines (GmSTTM166) displayed a reduced plant height phenotype. Moreover, GmSTTM166 plants contained lower levels of bioactive gibberellic acid (GA3) than wild-type plants, and application of exogenous GA partially rescued the dwarf phenotype of GmSTTM166. Knockdown of miR166 altered the expression of genes involved in GA biosynthesis and catabolism. Further analysis revealed that ATHB14-LIKE directly represses transcription of the GA biosynthesis genes GmGA1 and GmGA2, while activating transcription of the GA catabolic gene GIBBERLLIN 2 OXIDASE 2 (GmGA2ox2). Collectively, these results reveal a pivotal role for miR166 in the genetic control of plant height in soybean, thereby providing invaluable insights for molecular breeding to improve soybean yield.

Daminozide enhances the vigor and steviol glycoside yield of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bert.) propagated in temporary immersion bioreactors

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) produces steviol glycosides (SG), a group of diterpenoid secondary metabolites widely used as natural sweeteners. SGs share the same precursor with gibberellins (GAs), ent-kaurenoic acid. In this study, we attempted to increase the SG content in stevia propagated in Temporary Immersion Bioreactors (TIBs) by blocking ent-kaurenoic acid entry to the GA synthesis pathway using Daminozide (0, 10, 20 ppm), a known GA inhibitor. The maximum increase in biomass weight and SG content (up to 40% for stevioside and rebaudioside A) was observed following 10 ppm Daminozide treatment. The treatment also increased transcript accumulation for genes involved in SG biosynthesis, such as SrKA13H, SrUGT85C2, and SrUGT76G1, indicating that the SG pathway became more active due to GA pathway inhibition. Furthermore, GA inhibition following inhibitor exposure was also indicated by the upregulated expression of a GA biosynthesis gene (GA3ox) due to feedback regulation, and the downregulated expression of a GA catabolism gene (GA2ox2) as a result of feed-forward regulation.

The role of phytochrome-mediated gibberellic acid signaling in the modulation of seed germination under low light stress in rice (O. sativa L.).

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01167-7.

OsGRF6 interacts with SLR1 to regulate OsGA2ox1 expression for coordinating chilling tolerance and growth in rice

Low temperature is one of the abiotic stressors that affect growth and productivity of rice. The plant hormone gibberellin not only regulates growth and development but is also involved in stress defense. Our rice seedling experiments demonstrated that overexpression of SLR1, a gene that encodes the rice DELLA protein, enhanced chilling tolerance. In contrast, overexpression of the active GA synthesis gene OsGA20ox1 reduced chilling tolerance, indicating that weakening GA signaling promoted plant defense against cold stress. CoIP-MS and BiFC assays showed that SLR1 physically interacted with OsGRF6. After cold treatment and recovery, the survival rates of OsGRF6-overexpression lines and an osgrf6 mutant and its complementary lines indicated that OsGRF6 is a negative regulator of chilling tolerance in rice. The yeast one-hybrid, qRT-PCR, and transactivation assays showed that both SLR1 and OsGRF6 can bind to the promoter of the active GA catabolic gene OsGA2ox1, where SLR1 promoted and OsGRF6 suppressed OsGA2ox1 expression. At normal temperature, OsGRF6 was responsible for maintaining active GA levels by inhibiting OsGA2ox1. When rice seedlings were subjected to chilling stress, the repressive effect of OsGRF6 on OsGA2ox1 was released by cold-induced SLR1, which activated OsGA2ox1 expression to decrease the active GA levels, enhancing chilling tolerance. These results suggest that OsGRF6 is an important regulator in the balance between growth and chilling tolerance in rice.

A PHABULOSA-Controlled Genetic Pathway Regulates Ground Tissue Patterning in the Arabidopsis Root

SummaryIn both animals and plants, development involves anatomical modifications. In the root of Arabidopsis thaliana, maturation of the ground tissue (GT)—a tissue comprising all cells between epidermal and vascular ones—is a paradigmatic example of these modifications, as it generates an additional tissue layer, the middle cortex (MC).1, 2, 3, 4 In early post-embryonic phases, the Arabidopsis root GT is composed of one layer of endodermis and one of cortex. A second cortex layer, the MC, is generated by asymmetric cell divisions in about 80% of Arabidopsis primary roots, in a time window spanning from 7 to 14 days post-germination (dpg). The cell cycle regulator CYCLIN D6;1 (CYCD6;1) plays a central role in this process, as its accumulation in the endodermis triggers the formation of MC.5 The phytohormone gibberellin (GA) is a key regulator of the timing of MC formation, as alterations in its signaling and homeostasis result in precocious endodermal asymmetric cell divisions.3,6,7 However, little is known on how GAs are regulated during GT maturation. Here, we show that the HOMEODOMAIN LEUCINE ZIPPER III (HD-ZIPIII) transcription factor PHABULOSA (PHB) is a master regulator of MC formation, controlling the accumulation of CYCD6;1 in the endodermis in a cell non-autonomous manner. We show that PHB activates the GA catabolic gene GIBBERELLIN 2 OXIDASE 2 (GA2ox2) in the vascular tissue, thus regulating the stability of the DELLA protein GIBBERELLIN INSENSITIVE (GAI)—a GA signaling repressor—in the root and, hence, CYCD6;1 expression in the endodermis.

Jasmonoyl-l-isoleucine and allene oxide cyclase-derived jasmonates differently regulate gibberellin metabolism in herbivory-induced inhibition of plant growth

The trade-off between plant growth and resistance to herbivory is thought to be at least partly mediated by the interactions between jasmonates and gibberellins (GAs). Insect herbivory activates jasmonate biosynthesis and signaling, and plant growth is concomitantly inhibited. Whether or not the herbivory-induced jasmonates suppress the accumulation of GAs and thus reduce plant growth, and which jasmonates are functional in this process, remain unclear. In this study, we show that herbivory-induced stunted growth of Nicotiana attenuata was completely dependent on allene oxide cyclase (AOC) and coronatine insensitive1 (COI1), which encode a JA biosynthetic enzyme and the receptor, respectively, but only partially dependent on jasmonic acid-isoleucine conjugate (JA-Ile), the bioactive jasmonate. Quantification of GAs and exogenous treatments indicated that herbivory-induced growth inhibition was caused by GA4 deficiency, and that the reduction in GA4 accumulation was strongly associated with both decreased concentrations of GA biosynthetic gene transcripts and transcriptional activation of GA catabolic genes. We further show that JA-Ile only positively regulated the levels of GA catabolic genes, while the accumulation of GA biosynthetic gene transcripts was controlled by certain AOC-derived jasmonate(s) rather than by JA-Ile. This work sheds light on the mechanisms by which plants adapt to herbivory by using intricate phytohormone signaling and transcriptional regulatory networks.

Expression of Gibberellin Metabolism Genes and Signalling Components in Dwarf Phenotype of Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) Plants Growing on Marang (Artocarpus odoratissimus) Rootstocks.

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a traditional staple tree crop throughout the tropics. The species is an evergreen tree 15–20 m; there are currently no size-controlling rootstocks within the species. Through interspecific grafting, a dwarf phenotype was identified in breadfruit plants growing on Marang (Artocarpus odoratissimus) rootstocks, which displayed ~60% reduction in plant height with ~80% shorter internodes. To gain insight into the molecular mechanism underlying rootstock-induced dwarfing, we investigated the involvement of gibberellin (GA) in reduction of stem elongation. Expression of GA metabolism genes was analysed in the period from 18 to 24 months after grafting. In comparison to self-graft and non-graft, scion stems on marang rootstocks displayed decrease in expression of a GA biosynthetic gene, AaGA20ox3, and increase in expression of a GA catabolic genes, AaGA2ox1, in the tested 6-month period. Increased accumulation of DELLA proteins (GA-signalling repressors) was found in scion stems growing on marang rootstocks, together with an increased expression of a DELLA gene, AaDELLA1. Exogenous GA treatment was able to restore the stem elongation rate and the internode length of scions growing on marang rootstocks. The possibility that GA deficiency forms a component of the mechanism underlying rootstock-induced breadfruit dwarfing is discussed.

AtHSPR is involved in GA- and light intensity-mediated control of flowering time and seed set in Arabidopsis.

Flowering is a dynamic and synchronized process, the timing of which is finely tuned by various environmental signals. A T-DNA insertion mutant in Arabidopsis HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN-RELATED (AtHSPR) exhibited late-flowering phenotypes under both long-day (LD) and short-day (SD) conditions compared to the wild-type, while over-expression of AtHSPR promoted flowering. Exogenous application of gibberellin (GA) partially rescued the late-flowering mutant phenotype under both LD and SD conditions, suggesting that AtHSPR is involved in GA biosynthesis and/or the GA signaling that promotes flowering. Under SD or low-light conditions, the Athspr mutant exhibited late flowering together with reduced pollen viability and seed set, defective phenotypes that were partially rescued by GA treatment. qRT-PCR assays confirmed that GA biosynthetic genes were down-regulated, that GA catabolic genes were up-regulated, and that the levels of bioactive GA and its intermediates were decreased in Athspr under both SD and low-light/LD, further suggesting that AtHSPR could be involved in the GA pathway under SD and low-light conditions. Furthermore, AtHSPR interacted in vitro with OFP1 and KNAT5, which are transcriptional repressors of GA20ox1 in GA biosynthesis. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that AtHSPR plays a positive role in GA- and light intensity-mediated regulation of flowering and seed set.

Genetic mechanisms in the repression of flowering by gibberellins in apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.)

BackgroundGibberellins (GAs) can have profound effects on growth and development in higher plants. In contrast to their flowering-promotive role in many well-studied plants, GAs can repress flowering in woody perennial plants such as apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.). Although this effect of GA on flowering is intriguing and has commercial importance, the genetic mechanisms linking GA perception with flowering have not been well described.ResultsApplication of a mixture of bioactive GAs repressed flower formation without significant effect on node number or shoot elongation. Using Illumina-based transcriptional sequence data and a newly available, high-quality apple genome sequence, we generated transcript models for genes expressed in the shoot apex, and estimated their transcriptional response to GA. GA treatment resulted in downregulation of a diversity of genes participating in GA biosynthesis, and strong upregulation of the GA catabolic GA2 OXIDASE genes, consistent with GA feedback and feedforward regulation, respectively. We also observed strong downregulation of numerous genes encoding potential GA transporters and receptors. Additional GA-responsive genes included potential components of cytokinin (CK), abscisic acid (ABA), brassinosteroid, and auxin signaling pathways. Finally, we observed rapid and strong upregulation of both of two copies of a gene previously observed to inhibit flowering in apple, MdTFL1 (TERMINAL FLOWER 1).ConclusionThe rapid and robust upregulation of genes associated with GA catabolism in response to exogenous GA, combined with the decreased expression of GA biosynthetic genes, highlights GA feedforward and feedback regulation in the apple shoot apex. The finding that genes with potential roles in GA metabolism, transport and signaling are responsive to GA suggests GA homeostasis may be mediated at multiple levels in these tissues. The observation that TFL1-like genes are induced quickly in response to GA suggests they may be directly targeted by GA-responsive transcription factors, and offers a potential explanation for the flowering-inhibitory effects of GA in apple. These results provide a context for investigating factors that may transduce the GA signal in apple, and contribute to a preliminary genetic framework for the repression of flowering by GAs in a woody perennial plant.

Gibberellins Play a Role in Regulating Tomato Fruit Ripening.

Although exogenous applications of gibberellins (GAs) delay tomato ripening, the regulatory mechanisms of GAs in the process have never been well recognized. Here, we report that the concentration of endogenous GAs is declined before the increase of ethylene production in mature-green to breaker stage fruits. We further demonstrate that reductions in GA levels via overexpression of a GA catabolism gene SlGA2ox1 specifically in fruit tissues lead to early ripening. Consistently, we have also observed that application of a GA biosynthetic inhibitor, prohexadione-calcium, at the mature-green stage accelerates fruit ripening, while exogenous GA3 application delays the process. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ethylene biosynthetic gene expressions and ethylene production are activated prematurely in GA-deficient fruits but delayed/reduced in exogenous GA3-treated WT fruits. We also show that the GA deficiency-mediated activation of ethylene biosynthesis is due to the activation of the ripening regulator genes RIN, NOR and CNR. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that GAs play a negative role in tomato fruit ripening.

Gibberellin Inhibits Floral Initiation in the Perennial Woody Plant Jatropha curcas

Gibberellin (GA) is an important phytohormone and has been reported to promote flowering in annual and biennial plants, but may play an opposite role in woody perennial plants. In this study, the promoting or inhibiting effect of GA on floral initiation was investigated in Jatropha curcas L., a perennial woody plant, which has great potential as renewable energy plant due to the high oil content in the seed. We found that exogenous application of gibberellic acid (GA3) inhibited flowering, whereas GA biosynthesis inhibitors promoted flowering. The promotive effect of the GA biosynthesis inhibitor paclobutrazol on floral initiation could be diminished by GA3 treatment. The expression levels of GA biosynthesis genes Jatropha GA 3-oxidase 3 (JcGA3ox3) and the GA receptor genes, Jatropha GA-INSENSITIVE DWARF 1C (JcGID1C) were decreased, whereas a GA catabolism gene, Jatropha GA 2-oxidase 8 (JcGA2ox8), was elevated during floral transition. These results suggest that GA inhibits floral initiation in J. curcas.

Altered gibberellin content affects growth and development in transgenic tobacco lines overexpressing a wheat gene encoding F-box protein

In a previous study, we have identified and characterized gene from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) encoding F-box protein and named it TaFBA. In this paper, transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants overexpressing TaFBA1 displayed accelerated growth early, but the rate slowed gradually at later stages of growth, and the mature transgenic plants were even shorter in stature and flowered later than did the wild type (WT). Treatment with gibberellin (GA) conferred an accelerated growth rate to the transgenic tobacco plants at later stages, similar to that of WT, whereas growth was inhibited more seriously in WT than in transgenic tobacco when plants were treated with a GA biosynthesis inhibitor. The content of GA in transgenic tobacco plants was higher at early developmental stages, but it was lower at later growth stages than in WT. Some GA biosynthesis genes were down regulated, which was accompanied with elevated expression of a GA catabolism gene. Thus, our results suggest that TaFBA1 is possibly involved in the regulation of plant growth and development, and that it may be related to the production, metabolism, and proper function of GA.

Identification and characterization of tomato gibberellin 2-oxidases (GA2oxs) and effects of fruit-specific SlGA2ox1 overexpression on fruit and seed growth and development.

Gibberellins (GAs) play a crucial role in growth and development of the tomato fruit. Previously published studies focusing on the effect of GAs on tomato fruits used chemical treatments, constitutive overexpression or silencing of GA biosynthetic and catabolic genes globally throughout the plant. Fruit-specific overexpression of GA catabolic enzyme genes GA2-oxidases (GA2oxs), however, may provide an alternative method to study the role of endogenous GAs on the fruit development. In this study, we have identified 11 SlGA2ox proteins in tomato that are classified into three subgroups. Motif analysis and multiple sequence alignments have demonstrated that all SlGA2oxs, except SlGA2ox10, have similar motif compositions and high-sequence conservation. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis has showed that SlGA2oxs exhibit differential expression patterns in tomato fruits at different developmental stages. When the fruit-specific promoter TFM7 was used to control the expression of SlGA2ox1, we observed no changes in growth and development of vegetative organs. However, fruit weight, seed number and germination rate were significantly affected. We also treated tomato fruits with GA biosynthesis inhibitor and observed phenotypes similar to those of the transgenic fruits. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that expression of cell expansion and GA responsive genes were downregulated in transgenic tomato fruits, supporting that overexpression of the SlGA2ox1 leads to reduction in endogenous GAs. This study provides additional evidence that endogenous GAs and the SlGA2ox1 gene play an important role in controlling on fruit weight, seed development and germination in tomato plant.

Soaking in H2O2 regulates ABA biosynthesis and GA catabolism in germinating cotton seeds under salt stress

Exogenous H2O2 improves seed germination with the involvement of ABA and GA in a number of plant species but how it affects cotton seed germination under salinity stress is not well documented. In this study, we found that the marked inhibition of cotton seed germination under salinity stress was considerably alleviated by pretreatment with H2O2. Salt stress increased the ABA content by upregulating ABA biosynthesis genes, NCED2, NCED5 and NCED9 and downregulating the ABA catabolism gene, CYP707A2. It also decreased the GA content by increasing the expression of GA catabolism gene, GA2ox1 and decreasing that of the GA biosynthesis gene, GA20ox1 during germination. Pretreatment with H2O2 downregulated the ABA biosynthesis genes, NCED5 and NCED9, thereby decreasing the ABA content in germinating seeds. Concurrently, it increased the GA content by downregulating the GA catabolism gene, GA2ox1. These results suggest that pretreatment with H2O2 improved cotton seed germination by mediating the downregulation of ABA catabolism and GA biosynthesis under salt stress.

Salicylic-Acid-Induced Chilling- and Oxidative-Stress Tolerance in Relation to Gibberellin Homeostasis, C-Repeat/Dehydration-Responsive Element Binding Factor Pathway, and Antioxidant Enzyme Systems in Cold-Stored Tomato Fruit.

Effects of salicylic acid (SA) on gibberellin (GA) homeostasis, C-repeat/dehydration-responsive element binding factor (CBF) pathway, and antioxidant enzyme systems linked to chilling- and oxidative-stress tolerance in tomato fruit were investigated. Mature green tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Moneymaker) were treated with 0, 0.5, and 1 mM SA solution for 15 min before storage at 4 °C for 28 days. In comparison to 0 or 0.5 mM SA, 1 mM SA significantly decreased the chilling injury (CI) index in tomato fruit. In the SA-treated fruit, the upregulation of GA biosynthetic gene (GA3ox1) expression was followed by gibberellic acid (GA3) surge and DELLA protein degradation. CBF1 participated in the SA-modulated tolerance and stimulated the expression of GA catabolic gene (GA2ox1). Furthermore, 1 mM SA enhanced activities of antioxidant enzymes and, thus, reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation. Our findings suggest that SA might protect tomato fruit from CI and oxidative damage through regulating GA metabolism, CBF1 gene expression, and antioxidant enzyme activities.

Gibberellin-Abscisic Acid Balances during Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Formation in Tomato.

Plant hormones have become appropriate candidates for driving functional plant mycorrhization programs, including the processes that regulate the formation of arbuscules in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis. Here, we examine the role played by ABA/GA interactions regulating the formation of AM in tomato. We report differences in ABA and GA metabolism between control and mycorrhizal roots. Active synthesis and catabolism of ABA occur in AM roots. GAs level increases as a consequence of a symbiosis-induced mechanism that requires functional arbuscules which in turn is dependent on a functional ABA pathway. A negative interaction in their metabolism has been demonstrated. ABA attenuates GA-biosynthetic and increases GA-catabolic gene expression leading to a reduction in bioactive GAs. Vice versa, GA activated ABA catabolism mainly in mycorrhizal roots. The negative impact of GA3 on arbuscule abundance in wild-type plants is partially offset by treatment with ABA and the application of a GA biosynthesis inhibitor rescued the arbuscule abundance in the ABA-deficient sitiens mutant. These findings, coupled with the evidence that ABA application leads to reduce bioactive GA1, support the hypothesis that ABA could act modifying bioactive GA level to regulate AM. Taken together, our results suggest that these hormones perform essential functions and antagonize each other by oppositely regulating AM formation in tomato roots.