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Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis and Metabolism

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Plant Hormones

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Abstract

One of the questions that plant physiologists ask about a hormone is how its cellular levels are regulated. The concentration of a hormone, or of any other cellular constituent, will depend on its rate of synthesis and metabolism and on its rate of import into and export from the cell. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a particularly interesting hormone with regard to regulation of its levels, since they rise and fall dramatically in several kinds of tissues in response to environmental and developmental changes. When leaves of mesophytic plants are water stressed, ABA levels can rise from 10- to 50-fold within 4 to 8 hours, apparently due to a greatly increased rate of biosynthesis. When the plants are rewatered, the ABA levels drop to pre-stress levels within 4 to 8 hours. The drop in concentration is due to a reduced biosynthetic rate, a vigorous metabolism and possibly export from the leaves. In developing seeds of various plants, ABA levels can rise a hundred-fold within a few days and then decline to low levels as the seeds mature and desiccate. Synthesis and metabolism, as well as import, are involved in changing the ABA levels.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental and Forest Biology and Forestry, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA

    Daniel C. Walton

  2. Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA

    Li Yi

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  1. Daniel C. Walton
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  2. Li Yi
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Plant Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

    Peter J. Davies

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© 1995 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Walton, D.C., Yi, L. (1995). Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis and Metabolism. In: Davies, P.J. (eds) Plant Hormones. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0473-9_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0473-9_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-2985-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-0473-9

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