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Correlation between the Lipid Composition and the Responsiveness of Avena sativa Stem Segments to Gibberellic Acid

Department of Plant Physiology, Waite Agricultural Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064

The lipid composition of Avena sativa stem segments was manipulated using BASF 13-338 (formerly Sandoz 9785) and growth temperature, in order to establish whether there were correlations between responsiveness of the tissue to gibberellic acid (GA₃) and the presence, before hormone treatment, of specific lipid components. High correlations were obtained between GA₃-induced growth and total phospholipid, individual phospholipids, and fatty acids (except for linolenic acid), total saturated fatty acids, stigmasterol content, and the unsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio. It was concluded that, although the lipid composition, and particularly the total saturated fatty acid content, seem to be important contributory determinants of the GA₃-induced growth response in this system, they may not be obligatory prerequisites, nor the only endogenous factors capable of influencing the response. However, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that membranes are involved in the hormonal mechanism and/or very early stages of the mode of GA₃ action in this tissue.