Subject: Gibberellins
From: [email-masked] (Jimkoch)
Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 07:46:33
Newsgroups: bionet.plants

Working in a lab that studies, isolates, and characterizes all plant 
hormones, this is the truth according to GOD.  Gibberellins are a class of 
plant growth regulator, most of which are the biosynthesis precursors.  GA1 
is the undisputed, endogenous [inside the plant] active form of GA [short 
for gibberellic acid or gibberellin].  Vegetative tissue [growing] have two 
main pathways of production, depending on the species and seed tissues have 
one of these in the species studied.  IAA or auxin works in a similar matter 
to GA in some situations but the actual division of labor between these two 
compounds is still being investigated [thats why god put me in this lab].  
One major difference between plant hormones and animal hormones is that most 
or all animal hormones are protein based.  Plants have growth substances 
that are very small molecules, usually modifications of amino or ribonucleic 
acids.  GA is similar in structure to cholesterol, IAA is an oxidation of 
tryptophan.  Comparison of the roles of plant and animal hormones is 
currently a moot point since they seem to operate differently.

any futher questions contact me 
jim koch
Plant Growth Regulating Substances Laboratory [PGR Lab]
Cornell University
Ithaca NY
[email-masked]

or Peter Davies
[email-masked]

PS  Peter is working on the new edition of a book 
Plant Hormones and their role in plant growth and development.
this should be out later this year

jim