Phytohormones :

Types & Functions

BY – JUHI S. MISHRA
Juhi S. Mishra

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 Plant hormones are naturally
occurring organic substances which
control morphological, physiological
and biochemical responses at very

Introduction low concentrations.

To Plant Plant hormones are also called

Hormones phytohormones or plant growth

substances (PGS). The term plant
growth regulators (PGR) arc used to
represent the synthetic growth
regulators.

The eight major types of plant

hormones are: auxins, gibberellins,
cytokinins, ethylene, abscisic acid,
Brassinosteroids, Oligosaccharides
and poly amines.
(a) Auxins

 It is the first plant hormone which is discovered by Went (1928) from Avena
curvature test.
 The most common naturally occurring auxin is IAA (Indole-3 -acetic acid) that
resembles the amino acid tryptophan from which it is synthesized.
 IAA synthesized in shoots apical meristems and transport basipetally (from apex
to base) through polar transport (by parenchyma cells) and non-polar transport
(by phloem).
 The synthetic auxins are NAA (Naphthalene acetic acid), IBA (Indolebutyric
acid), 2, 4-D (2, 4- dichlorophenoxyaceticacid), 2, 4, 5-T, (2, 4, 5, -
tricholrophenoxyacetic acid).
 Importance/Role/Effect of IAA:

 1. Promote growth in stems and coleoptiles but inhibit growth in roots.

 2. Causes bending of coleoptiles towards light (phototropism) and control geotropism (growth in
response to gravity)
 3. Causes the growth of apical bud and inhibits the growth of lateral buds. This phenomenon is
called apical dominance.
 4. Delays shedding of leafs (abscission).
 5. Promote the production of parthenocarpic (seedless) fruits.
 6. Stimulates the differentiation of xylem and phloem.
 7. Promote the formation of lateral roots and adventitious roots.
 8. The 2, 4, -D and 2, 4, 5 -T are used as herbicides.
 9. Synthetic auxins cause flowering, fruiting and stimulate rooting of cutting.
 (b) Cytokinins:

 Cytokinins are naturally occurring growth promoters that in combination with auxin, promote cell division
and differentiation in plants.
 Chemically cytokines are purine derivatives similar to adenine. In all plants, Zeatin (trans-6-purine) is the
most about naturally occurring cytokinin but dihydrozeatin and isopentenyl adenine are also commonly
found in higher plants and bacteria.
 The three zeatins found in bound form in plants such as riboside, ribotide or glycoside and convert into
free zeatin by enzymes.
 They occur in both free and bound forms. Zeatin was first isolated from kernels of Zen mays and in liquid
endosperm of coconut.
 Cytokinin synthesized in root apical meristem and transported upward through xylem elements as zeatine
ribosides.
 They also synthesized in developing embryos and in crown gall tissues.
 Cytokinin also occur as modified bases in certain t-RNA molecules of all organisms (bacteria to plants
and human). The synthetic cytokinins are kinetin (6-furfuryl aminopurine), BAP (benzylaminopurine) etc.
Importance Of Cytokinin

 1. Cytokinin stimulates cytokinesis (cell divisions).

 2. It causes the enlargement of stem cells, rather than their longitudinal extension.
 3. Modify apical dominance and promote lateral bud growth.
 4. Promotes chloroplast maturation.
 5. Cytokinin increases the number of buds in Funaria. This helps in conversion of
moss protonema into leafy gametophore.
 6. Promote nutrient mobilization from other parts of plant to leaves.
 7. Delay leaf senescence (Richmond-Lang effect)
 8. Regulate morphogenesis of shoot and root in tissue culture.
 9. Stimulate the release of dormancy of seeds and buds.
 10. Induce flowering in SDP.
 11. Increase resistance of plants to adverse factors such as high and low
temperature and certain diseases.
 12. High concentration of cytokinin induces epinasty (downward curvature
of leaves).
 (c) Gibberellins:

 Gibberellins (GAs) first isolated from the ascomycetes fungus, Gibberella fujikuroi that
causes ‘bakane’ or foolish seedling disease of rice.
 At present many naturally occurring GAs are known through many don’t have
biological activity. They are referred as GA1 GA2, GA3. The most common gibberellin
is GAg (gibberelic acid).
 Chemically GAs is tetracylic diterpenoids consists of 4 isoprene units (C5H8). GAs can
be subdivided into C20-gibberellins (consists of 20C) and C19-gibberllins (consists of
19C). GA synthesis occurs, in young leaves and buds, developing seeds and fruits
and in roots. GA transported passively through xylem and phloem.
 They transport by non-polar method.
 Effect Of Gibberellins

 1. Causes extension of stem due to cell elongation and not by cell division.
 2. In germinating seeds, embryos secrete GA that promotes the production of amylase
and other hydrolases necessary for mobilization of reserve food.
 3. Exogenous application breaks dormancy of seed and bud.
 4. Exogenous application promote flowering in LDP, induce parthenocarpy (seedless
fruits), increase the size of flower and fruit, and break dormancy of seed and buds.
 5. Application GA promotes the formation of pistillate flowers in maize but promote
staminate flowers in maize, spinach, cucumber, hemp etc.
 6. Cause the increase in length of internodes (bolting) in rosette plants and
genetically dwarf varieties of plants like corn and pea.
 7. It is a substitute of vernalization (low temperature treatment) that causes early
flowering in plants.
 8. Commercially GA3 is used to increase the stalk length of seedless grapes that
allow the grapes to grow larger. It is also used in malting of barley in brewing
process, delay senescence of citrus, increase the height of sugar cane and sugar
yield.
 9. Fern prothallus (gametophyte) release GA3 derivatives that promote
development of antheridia on adjacent gametophyte. Here, it acts as
pheromones.
 (d) Ethylene:

 Ethylene or ethene (CH2 = CH2) is volatile gas present in the smoke and other industrial
gases. R Gane (1934) established that ethylene is a natural plant hormone responsible for
fruit ripening.
 Ethylene is produced in bacteria, fungi and plant organs. Senescing tissues and ripening
fruits produce more ethylene than young tissues.
 The precursor of ethylene biosynthesis is the amino acid methionine.
 Ethylene biosynthesis is increased by IAA, Cytokinins and water stress, Ethylene gas diffuses
from one tissue and affects other tissues organs.
 It is biologically active at a concentration or 1 µl<1 per liter.
 Effects of Ethylene:

 1. Promotes fruit ripening, senescence of flowers and leaves.

 2. Accelerates the abscission of plant organs. In the abscission zone ethylene
promotes weakening of cell wall.
 3. Breaks seed dormancy of cereals and bud dormancy of potato tubers.
 4. Induces flowering in mango, pineapple etc. but inhibit flowering in most cases.
 5. Promote formation of female flowers in cucumbers.
 6. Ethylene at high concentration (10µl L_1) induces adventitious rooting and root
hair formation.
 6. Ethylene at high concentration (10µl L_1) induces adventitious rooting and root
hair formation.
 7. Ethylene treated shoots exhibit triple response i.e., decrease stem elongation,
increased lateral growth (cell expansion) and horizontal growth in response to
physical barriers by Neljubow (1901), a graduate students of Russia, in pea-
seedling.
 8. Ethylene induces leaf epinasty.
 9. Ethephon when sprayed absorbed by plant and release ethylene slowly. This is
commercially used to enhance fruit ripening, abscission of flowers and fruits and
degreening of citrus.
 (e) Abscisic acid (ABA):

 ABA is a natural growth inhibitor synthesized in all cells of vascular plants and mosses
that contain plastids. ABA is transported through xylem and phloem.
 Chemically, ABA is a 15-C terpenoid compound (sesquiterpene) derived from the
terminal part of the carotenoid precursor.
 Also called Stress Hormone.

 Effects:
 ABA promotes bud dormancy, leaf senescence, abscission of organs, closing of
stomata etc.
  Plant Growth Regulators can be of a diverse
chemical composition such as gases
(ethylene), terpenes (gibberellic acid) or
carotenoid derivates (abscisic acid).
 They are also referred to as plant growth
substances, phytohormones or plant
hormones. Based on their action, they are
broadly classified as follows:
 Plant Growth Promoters – They promote cell
Key Notes - division, cell enlargement, flowering, fruiting
and seed formation. Examples are auxins,
gibberellins and cytokinins.
 Plant Growth Inhibitors – These chemicals
inhibit growth and promote dormancy and
abscission in plants. An example is an abscisic
acid.

 Note: Ethylene can be a promoter or an

inhibitor, but is largely a Plant Growth Inhibitor.
  Auxin was discovered by F.W Went in
1935
 Gibberellin was discovered by Tejiro
Yabuta and Sumiki in 1934 from fungus
Gibberella fujikuroi ( Fusarium
moniliforme ). But first time observed by
Key Notes Kurusawa.
 Cytokinin was discovered by F.Skoog
and C. Miller in 1950.
 Ethylene was discovered by Crocker in
1935.
 Abscisic acid was discovered by
Addicot in 1963.
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