MECHANISM OF ACTION OF

GROWTH HORMONE AND

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF
GIBBERELLINS
 TYPES OF GROWTH
INTRODUCTION HARMONES
 Organic substances produced in one
Auxin
part and transported to another part in a
minute amount they effect growth
are called “Growth hormones”. Morphactin Gibberellin

 popularly known as “Growth

regulators (or) Phytohormones”. GROWTH
HORMONES

Ethylene Cytokinin

Abscisic
acid
 GIBBERELLINS TYPES OF GIBBERELLINS
o Gibberellins plant hormones mainly
stimulates elongation of internodes
o Discovered by YABUTA & HAYASHI in GA1

GIBBERELLIN
1939.
o first isolated from the fungus Gibberella
fujikuroi (foolish disease of rice)
GA2
o The movement of gibberellins is non-polar.
o About 125 types of gibberellin GA3
o GA1 & GA20 are widely distributed in higher
plants. Etc.
STRUCTURE OF
GIBBERELLIN
 All 20 carbons of skeleton
structure
 Called as C20
 Eg: GA12, GA27, GA53,etc..
 GA1 is chief biologically active
in stem elongation
 GA3 –practical uses in plant
breeding programmes.
 ISOLATION OF GIBBERELLINS
 Isolation of crude gibberellin, a crystalline material with plant growth promoting
properties
 The metabolites of Gibberella fujikuroi the production of gibberellin
 The other fungal gibberellins – A1,A2,A4,A7&A9 are of GA.
 A1,A5,A6,A8 isolated by Phaseolus maltiflorus( Immature runner bean 10-100mg
per gram).
 Isolated from various higher plant parts
 Kudzu vine 80-500,
 Pinto bean 12,
 Sweet corn kernels 15-45,
 Lima bean 15,
 Alfalfa 15-75.
 MECHANISM OF ACTION OF GIBBERELLIN ACID

Synthesis of α -
1. GA and Growth:- Amylase

Promote cell expansion or cell division or

both of plant Hydrolysis of
cell starch into
2. Extensibility changes in GA3 treated sugar
tissues:-
Height reduced the extensibility of hypocotyl GA
tissues while darkness and GA3 overcome this
inhibition. Osmotic
3.GA3 & Synthesis of RNA Proteins:- Cell enlargement pressure of
cell increases
An increase in level of RNA and proteins
Water enters
cause an increase in total metabolites in plant into cell y
cell osmosis
4. The cereal aleurone
layer:-
 The Aleurone layer of
seeds is responsible for
degradation of starchy
endosperm.
 Controls the production of
hydrolytic enzymes
5.The effect of GA on
germination of seeds is
significant due to an increase
in the imbibition of water and
onset of the enzyme activities.
 PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF GIBBERELLINS
1.BOLTING AND FLOWERING:-
 Induce bolting(shoot elongation) &
flowering
 promote the growth of short day condition
 form rosette require cold treatment stem
elongation & flowering.
 Eg. Rudbekia speciosa & Hyoscyamus niger
2.ELONGATION OF INTERNODE:-
 Promote the elongation of internode{the
loosening of cell wall for stretching}
 The target of the gibberellin action is at
intercalary meristem.
 Eg. XGT (Xyloglucan trans glycosylase).
3.PARTHENOCARPY:-
Induces parthenocarpy{seedless &
fleshy fruits} in fruit-like tomatoes,
grapes,etc
4.BREAKING OF BUD DORMANCY:-
 It is done by gibberellin treatment
 Eg: In potato tubers, this is treated by
gibberellins.
5.SYNTHESIS OF α-AMYLASE:-
 Promote the synthesis of α-Amylase
enzymes the aleurone layer
during germination
 Hydrolysis of starch to embryo
provide energy
6.ABSCISSION:-
Accelerate the rate of
abscission.
7.SUBSTITUTING COLD
TREATMENT:-
 Substituting the cold requirement
with the gibberellins
 Induce flowering the biennials
in a single year.
8.SEED GERMINATION:-
o Light sensitive seeds show poor germination in dark
o exposed to light & red light starts vigorous growth
o The seeds are treated with gibberellic acid in dark
o Eg. Lettuce & Tobacco
9.ROOT GROWTH:-
o Little or no effect on root growth.
10.INDUCTION OF FLOWERING:-
o GA4 and GA7 are effective in inducing early
flowering
o Induces many pistillate flowers
o Eg: Hedera helix(English ivy)
11.FRUIT SET:-
o The initiation of fruit growth following fertilization
o Gibberellin induced fruit setting
o Eg: apple (Malus sylvestris), stone fruits.
COMMERCIAL USES OF GIBBERELLINS
1.FAST GROWTH OF SEEDLINGS:-
 GA3 is used to promote their growth rate(Applied to shoot tips)
 It also applied in rootstocks of mango, citrus, etc.
 Lead to large production in a short period
2.BREAKING OF SEED AND BUD DORMANCY:-
 Treatment of seeds with 100ppm GA3 is useful to overcome seed dormancy
 Eg: Citrus, cherry, grapes, pears, plums, apple, peach, annona, tomato,etc.
3.CONTROL OF PLANT GROWTH:-
 To avoid the manual pruning the plant growth regulators
like MH,CCC & ethrel are
 Used for arresting apical growth of plant
 It is cheap method. There is no need of labours.
4.MODIFICATION OF SEX EXPRESSION:-
 It can induced to produce male or female flower in large
numbers
 This is known as modification of sex expression
 Ethrel, maleic, hydrozide(MH), cycocel(CCC), Tri-iodo-
benzoic acid(TIBA) are used.
6.MALTING OF BARLEY:-
 Gibberellin treatment increases the α-
Amylase content of germinating
 Such grains give good quality malt to
brewing industries
 Eg: barley grains
7.HIGH SUGAR YIELD:-
Growing of sugarcane
enhances the growth of internodes and
increases the crop productivity & sugar
yield of crop