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Changes of Endogenous Gibberellin-like Substances with Sex Reversal of the Apical Inflorescence of Corn ¹

David J. Major

Department of Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada, Agriculture Canada Research Station, Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 4B1, Canada

In developing apical meristems of corn, the level of acidic, ethyl acetate-soluble gibberellin (GA)-like substances increased to a maximum of 108 micrograms GA₃-equivalents per kilogram dry weight of tissue at inflorescence initiation, and then fell rapidly. At anthesis, only a trace (0.2 microgram per kilogram) of GA-like activity remained in the apical (male) inflorescences, whereas moderate activity (32 micrograms per kilogram), mostly of a nonpolar nature, was present in lateral, female, inflorescences.

A sex reversal of the apical inflorescence, from male to female, was elicited by reducing the ambient light intensity. Higher levels of GA-like substances, particularly those eluting from a SiO₂ partition column in the nonpolar region, were observed at all harvests in the reverting meristems; levels increased to 180 micrograms per kilogram at inflorescence initiation, then dropped to 122 micrograms per kilogram in the apical (female), reverted meristems. This increase in endogenous GA-like activity with reversion to the female inflorescence is consistent with observations that (a) reversion can be obtained with exogenous application of GA₃ and (b) maleness is enhanced in GA-deficient mutants of maize. Endogenous GAs may thus play a key role in the control of sexuality of corn.

¹ This work was supported in part by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Grant A-2585 to R. P. P.

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