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Ethylene‐triggered abscisic acid: A principle in plant growth regulation?
Author(s) -
Grossmann Klaus,
Hansen Hauke
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1034/j.1399-3054.2001.1130102.x
Subject(s) - abscisic acid , auxin , ethylene , apical dominance , 1 aminocyclopropane 1 carboxylic acid , biosynthesis , biology , endogeny , biochemistry , stimulation , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , botany , enzyme , gene , shoot , catalysis , neuroscience
The application of auxins to sensitive plant species or their overproduction in transgenic plants stimulates ethylene biosynthesis via induction of 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase. Recent studies with auxin herbicides and indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA) have revealed that auxin‐stimulated ethylene triggers an increase in the biosynthesis of abscisic acid (ABA), which then functions as a second messenger, leading to growth inhibition and senescence. This raises the question of whether ethylene‐triggered ABA is restricted to the action of auxin herbicides or whether it is a widespread phenomenon in the normal plant growth regulation. Our own results and a reappraisal of the literature indicate that ethylene‐induced ABA may, indeed, play a role in natural physiological phenomena, such as root gravireaction and suppression of lateral bud growth in apical dominance. In addition, it would be worthwhile to investigate whether ethylene‐triggered ABA is involved in other processes which coincide with a strong stimulation of ethylene biosynthesis, such as growth inhibition induced by cytokinins and senescence elicited under stress conditions.