Growth changes in pea plants induced by gibberellic acid and their effects on the concentrations of tissue lipids.

Striking and pronounced growth responses to the gibberellins as plant regulators and hormones are well known and readily produced in suitable plants. It was our purpose to study the effects of such growth responses on the concentrations of plant lipids and on the concentrations of antioxidants that are synthesized in plants. Growth changes were induced in pea plants by the application of gibberellic acid. Changes in the concentrations of lipids occurred in both treated shoots and treated roots, and these changes do not appear to be due to redistribution between shoots and roots. The concentrations of antioxidants, e.g. tocopherols, were not significantly changed by the alteration in growth. Fast-reacting sterols were present in the plants and were restricted to the esterified sterol fraction of the shoots. The protein concentration was decreased in treated plants and concentrations of carbohydrate fractions were increased reciprocally.