Growth substances and the relation between phenotype and genotype in Pisum sativum

Abstract

Reciprocal grafts between plants of the tall variety Alaska and the dwarf Progress No. 9 show that neither roots nor mature leaves determine shoot phenotype. It is demonstrated that differences in stem growth between the two varieties are essentially controlled by a single Mendelian factor, and the effect of this Le locus is not graft transmissible. Combined with published data for gibberellin content this confirms that the Le locus does not control shoot phenotype by regulating gibberellin synthesis. Growth of slender plants (Le la cry (s) ) and early growth of microcryptodwarfs (le la cry (c) lm) is not inhibited by AMO-1618 at concentrations which greatly reduce growth of tall plants. This is consistent with the suggestion that rapid growth in these varieties, in the absence of the inhibitory effect of La and Cry, is not dependent on endogenous gibberellin.