Evidence for Phytochrome Regulation of Gibberellin A20 3β-Hydroxylation in Shoots of Dwarf (lele) Pisum sativum L.

The effect of light on the dwarfing allele, le, in Pisum sativum L. was tested as the growth response to gibberellins prior to or beyond the presumed block in the gibberellin biosynthetic pathway. The response to the substrate (GA(20)), the product (GA(1)), and a nonendogenous early precursor (steviol) was compared in plants bearing the normal Le and the deficient lele genotypes in plants made low in gibberellin content genetically (nana lines) or by paclobutrazol treatment to tall (cv Alaska) and dwarf (cv Progress) peas. Both genotypes responded to GA(1) under red irradiation and in darkness. The lele plants grew in response to GA(20) and steviol in darkness but showed a much smaller response when red irradiated. The Le plants responded to GA(20) and steviol in both light and darkness. The red effects on lele plants were largely reversible by far-red irradiation. It is concluded that the deficiency in 3beta-hydroxylation of GA(20) to GA(1) in genotype lele is due to a Pfr-induced blockage in the expression of that activity.