The old pea model in a new light: power of auxin over photoassimilates.

ABSTRACT: Breaking of apical dominance by removing the shoot apex initiates competition between the remaining buds to assume the dominant position. Cotyledonary buds located closest to the stored photoassimilates also participate in this race, as was demonstrated a century ago in a pea model. Using pea (Pisum sativum L.) plantlets we showed that sucrose feeding through the stem stump enhances the outgrowth rate of initiated buds. However, this cannot overwrite the axillary bud competition pattern, during which the upper axillary bud outcompetes all the lower buds. Further, disruption of polar auxin flow by stem wounding triggers cotyledonary bud outgrowth regardless of assimilates supplied by the cotyledons. Similarly, replacement of the cotyledons with a sucrose-containing gel did not influence the

SUBMITTER: Balla J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12859029 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature