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McAdam et al 2015 AOBPlants.pdf (491.11 kB)

Molecular characterization of a mutation affecting abscisic acid biosynthesis and consequently stomatal responses to humidity in an agriculturally important species

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posted on 2023-05-18, 12:53 authored by McAdam, SAM, Frances SussmilchFrances Sussmilch, Timothy BrodribbTimothy Brodribb, John RossJohn Ross
Mutants deficient in the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) have been instrumental in determining not only the biosynthetic pathway for this hormone, but also its physiological role in land plants. The wilty mutant of Pisum sativum is one of the classic, well-studied ABA deficient mutants; however this mutant remains uncharacterised at a molecular level. Using a candidate gene approach, we show that the wilty mutation affects the xanthoxin dehydrogenase step in ABA biosynthesis. To date, this step has only been represented by mutants in the ABA2 gene of Arabidopsis thaliana. Functional ABA biosynthesis appears to be critical for normal stomatal responses to changes in humidity in angiosperms, with wilty mutant plants having no increase in foliar ABA levels in response to a doubling in vapour pressure deficit and no closure of stomata. Phylogenetic analysis of the ABA2 gene family from diverse land plants indicates that the evolution of an ABA-biosynthetic-specific short-chain dehydrogenase (ABA2) evolved in the earliest angiosperms. The relatively recent evolutionary origin of specificity in this step has important implications for both the evolution of ABA biosynthesis and action in land plants.

Funding

Australian Research Council

History

Publication title

AoB Plants

Volume

7

Article number

plv091

Number

plv091

Pagination

1-11

ISSN

2041-2851

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Place of publication

United Kingdom

Rights statement

Copyright 2015 The Authors Licenced under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Repository Status

  • Open

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences

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