Abnormal Stomatal Behavior and Hormonal Imbalance in flacca, a Wilty Mutant of Tomato

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Abstract
The wilty tomato mutant flacca, the normal cultivar Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. Rheinlands Ruhm, and abscisic acid[ABA]-induced phenotypic revertants were compared with respect to ethylene evolution, activity of tryptophan aminotransferase, and [1-14C]IAA decarboxylation. The level of ethylene evolution was higher in flacca plants than in the normal cultivar. Ethylene evolution was reduced to the wild type level in ABA-induced phenotypic revertants and to a lesser extent in mutant plants grown under humid conditions. Leaf epinasty, which characterized flacca plants in the present experiments, did not appear in ABA-treated mutant plants, but did appear under high humidity. Tryptophan aminotransferase activity, similar to ethylene evolution, was higher in flacca plants and was reduced to the normal level by ABA treatment. IAA decarboxylation was similar in mutant and normal plants, but was increased by ABA treatment. The relationships among ethylene, auxin and the morphological symptoms which characterize the mutant are discussed.