Gibberellin Induces α-Amylase Gene in Seed Coat of Ipomoea nil Immature Seeds

Abstract

Two full-length cDNAs encoding gibberellin 3-oxidases, InGA3ox1 and InGA3ox2, were cloned from developing seeds of morning glory (Ipomoea nil (Pharbitis nil) Choisy cv. Violet) with degenerate-PCR and RACEs. The RNA-blot analysis for these clones revealed that the InGA3ox2 gene was organ-specifically expressed in the developing seeds at 6–18 days after anthesis. In situ hybridization showed the signals of InGA3ox2 mRNA in the seed coat, suggesting that active gibberellins (GAs) were synthesized in the tissue, although no active GA was detected there by immunohistochemistry. In situ hybridization analysis for InAmy1 (former PnAmy1) mRNA showed that InAmy1 was also synthesized in the seed coat. Both InGA3ox2 and InAmy1 genes were expressed spatially overlapped without a clear time lag, suggesting that both active GAs and InAmy1 were synthesized almost simultaneously in seed coat and secreted to the integument. These observations support the idea that GAs play an important role in seed development by inducing α-amylase.