Gibberellic-acid-regulated expression of α-amylase and six other genes in wheat aleurone layers

The effect of gibberellic acid (GA3) on gene expression in wheat aleurone cells has been characterised. In-vitro translation of polyadenylated RNA indicated that α-amylase and other messenger-RNA (mRNA) species increase in relative concentration in GA3-treated tissue. At least one mRNA species declines in relative level in response to GA3. There is also a GA3-dependent, four-fold increase in the level of polyadenylated RNA. This effect is largely the result of increased levels of many mRNA species which are also present in untreated tissue. Seven GA3-induced polyadenylated RNA species including the Amyl α-amylase gene product have been cloned as complementary DNA in the plasmid pBR322. These cloned DNAs have been used as hybridisation probes to show that the GA3-induced increase in α-amylase mRNA is more prolonged than the accumulation of the other GA3-regulated mRNA species. A polyadenylated-RNA sequence showing reduced concentration in GA3-treated tissue has also been cloned.