Auxin-gibberellin relationships in their effects on hypocotyl elongation of light-grown cucumber seedlings II. Effect of GA3-pretreatment on IAA-induced elongation

IAA-induced growth of light-grown cucumber hypocotyl sectionsis markedly enhanced by GA₃-pretreatment of the sections; thereis a distinct synergism between IAA and GA₃. Water pretreatmentalso enhances IAA-induced growth. On the other hand, IAA-pretreatedsections showed practically no further growth in response topost treatment with GA₃. The enhancing effect of GA₃ is obtainedwith only 30 min pretreatment, the maximum effect occuring with2 hr pretreatment. Pretreatment longer than 8 hr is less effective.This enhancing effect of GA₃ can be observed soon after posttreatment with IAA. The response of GA₃-pretreated sectionsto IAA is greater in pretreatment with higher concentrationsof GA₃, and higher degrees of synergism between IAA and GA₃are obtained at IAA concentrations less than 10^-4 M. This synergisticinteraction between GA₃ and IAA is more marked in aged hypocotylsections than in young sections. From these results we concludedthat gibberellin sensitizes hypocotyl cells to the subsequenteffect of auxin on cell elongation. (Received October 6, 1973; )