Effects of Auxin Transport Inhibitors on Gibberellins in Pea

The effects of the auxin transport inhibitors 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA), 9-hydroxyfluorene-9-carboxylic acid (HFCA), and 1-N-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) on gibberellins (GAs) in the garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) were studied. Application of these compounds to elongating internodes of intact wild type plants reduced markedly the endogenous level of the bioactive gibberellin A1 (GA1) below the application site. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels were also reduced, as was internode elongation. The auxin transport inhibitors did not affect the level of endogenous GA1 above the application site markedly, nor that of GA1 precursors above or below it. When plants were treated with [13C,3H]GA20, TIBA reduced dramatically the level of [13C,3H]GA1 recovered below the TIBA application site. The internodes treated with auxin transport inhibitors appeared to be still in the phase where endogenous GA1 affects elongation, as indicated by the strong response to applied GA1 by internodes of a GA1-deficient line at the same stage of expansion. On the basis of the present results it is suggested that caution be exercised when attributing the developmental effects of auxin transport inhibitors to changes in IAA level alone.