Gibberellins and the procera mutant of tomato.

The procera mutant of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) has a phenotype which is remarkably similar to that of normal tomatoes treated with exogenous gibberellin (GA), indicating that it might be a GA over-producer. However, analysis of endogenous GAs by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that Procera actually has lower levels of GA20 and GA1 than normal. The reason for these anomalously low GA levels is not clear, as there was no difference between procera and normal plants in their ability to metabolize [(3)H]GA20. The procera mutant responded to exogenous gibberellic acid with increased extension growth, but the proportional response for a given dose of GA was the same in procera and normal plants. It therefore appears that the procera mutation does not directly affect either the GA status of the plant, or its ability to respond to GA.