Effect of abscisic and gibberellic acids on malate synthase transcripts in germinating castor bean seeds.

Several clones complementary to malate synthase mRNA have been identified in a complementary-DNA library to mRNA from castor bean endosperm. One of these clones has been used as a probe to measure levels of transcripts during seed germination and the effects of gibberellic acid and abscisic acid on these levels have been examined.Malate synthase transcripts increased during germination and GA3 advanced their appearance in the endosperm. Exogenously applied ABA inhibited the accumulation of transcripts over a time course of germination but the addition of GA3 counteracted its inhibitory effects. The data confirmed previous reports which indicated that the action of both growth regulators was on transcript accumulation and that there is a coordinated induction of the enzymes involved in the lipid metabolism in oil seeds.