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Effects of endogenous GA and ABA on water relations in tomato fruit and seeds during development

Liu Yongqing, Luo Zemin, Hilhorst H W M and karssen C M

Department of Horticulture,Hunan Agricultural University.Changsha 410128,Hunan；China

Abstract

Tomato plants of GA-deficient (gib),ABA-deficient (sit) mutants and is ogenic wild type (wt) were grown under greenhouse conditions, and the flowers were labelled. Water relations in developing tomato fruits and seeds were analyzed by measuring the water contents of various tissues with thermocouple psychrometer.The water potential between pericarp or locular tissue and seeds was essentially equilibrated throughout development, and the direction of flow depended upon the water potential, i.e. at the early stage water flew from pericarp into seeds and reversely during seed maturation desication. The water content and water potential of embryos were always lower than that of whole seeds at any time during development, inferring the operation of an active desiccating process during embryos desiccation. Endogenous gibberellin could increase fruit and seed weight, but could not affect the production of soluble compounds in the embryos. Fruit ripening and senescence which lead to the loss of cellular integrity of pericarp and locular tissue could be stimulated by endogenous abscisic acid, resulting in a much lower water potential, which might inhibit seed germination within the fruit.

Key words: ABA;GA;Tomato;Seed development;Water relations

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Citing This Article：

Liu Yongqing, Luo Zemin, Hilhorst H W M and karssen C M. Effects of endogenous GA and ABA on water relations in tomato fruit and seeds during development. Acta Physiol Sin 1996; 48 (1): (in Chinese with English abstract).