The Role of γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) in the Occurrence of Adventitious Roots and Somatic Embryos in Woody Plants
Lu Pei,
Yue Zhao,
Xinru Shi,
Rongrong Chen,
Jiawei Yan,
Xu Li,
Zeping Jiang,
Junhui Wang,
Shengqing Shi
Affiliations
Lu Pei
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Research Institute of Forestry, The Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Yue Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Research Institute of Forestry, The Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Xinru Shi
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Research Institute of Forestry, The Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Rongrong Chen
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Research Institute of Forestry, The Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Jiawei Yan
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Research Institute of Forestry, The Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Xu Li
College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
Zeping Jiang
Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, The Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Junhui Wang
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Research Institute of Forestry, The Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Shengqing Shi
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Research Institute of Forestry, The Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
The occurrence of adventitious roots and somatic embryos is a crucial step in micropropagation that frequently limits the application of this technique in woody plants. Recent studies demonstrated that they can be negatively or positively regulated with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is a four-carbon non-proteinous amino acid that not only acts as a main inhibitory neurotransmitter in mammals. It has been reported that GABA affects plant growth and their response to stress although its mode of action is still unclear. This review dealt with the effects of GABA on adventitious root formation and growth as well as on somatic embryogenesis. Furthermore, we focused on discussing the interaction of GABA with phytohormones, such as auxin, ethylene, abscisic acid, and gibberellin, as well as with the carbon and nitrogen metabolism during adventitious root development. We suggested that research on GABA will contribute to the application of micropropagation in the recalcitrant fruit and forest species.
