Abstract
Previous work has indicated that changes in gibberellin (GA) metabolism may be involved in chilling-induced release from dormancy in somatic embryos of grape (Vitis vinifera L. x V. rupestris Scheele). We have chilled somatic embryos of grape for 2, 4, or 8 weeks, then incubated them with [(3)H]GA(4) (of high specific activity, 4.81 x 10(10) becquerel per millimole) for 48 hours at 26 degrees C. Chilling had little effect on the total amount of free [(3)H]GA-like metabolites formed during incubation at 26 degrees C, but did change the relative proportions of individual metabolites. The amount of highly water-soluble [(3)H] metabolites formed at 26 degrees C decreased in embryos chilled for 4 or 8 weeks. The concentration of endogenous GA precursors (e.g., GA(12) aldehyde-, kaurene-, and kaurenoic acid-like substances) increased in embryos chilled for 4 or 8 weeks. Treatment with abscisic acid (ABA) (known to inhibit germination in grape embryos) concurrent with [(3)H]GA(4) treatment at 26 degrees C, reduced the uptake of [(3)H] GA(4) but had little effect on the qualitative spectrum of metabolites. However, in the embryos chilled for 8 weeks and then treated with ABA for 48 hours at 26 degrees C, there was a higher concentration of GA precursors than in untreated control embryos. Chilled embryos thus have an enhanced potential for an increase in free GAs through synthesis from increased amounts of GA precursors, or through a reduced ability to form highly water-soluble GA metabolites (i.e., GA conjugates or polyhydroxylated free GAs).