Kinetic studies on the redistribution of endogenous growth regulators in gravireacting plant organs

The kinetics of redistribution of endogenous indole-3-acetic acid, cis-abscisic acid and gibberellic acid (+gibberellin A7) in gravistimulated plant organs were followed by immunoassay, during the latent period and the phase of gravitropic curvature. Whereas in maize coleoptile tips, endogenous indole-3-acetic acid accumulated in the lower half of the organ (ratio 65:35, in favour of the lower half) before bending occurred, it was not possible to detect any significant lateral asymmetry of any of the growth regulators assayed in gravitropically reacting root tips of Zea mays L. and Vicia faba L. nor in hypocotyls of Helianthus annus L. Also, no indication was obtained for an exchange of growth regulators between peripheral and central cell layers of the sunflower hypocotyl. Evidence is presented that changes in the properties of the epidermal or subepidermal cell layers located in the lower half of the horizontally placed sunflower hypocotyl are largely responsible for the gravitropic reaction. An alteration in the subcellular compartmentation of IAA may be involved in this process.