Abstract
A cold-sensitive maize ( Zea mays L.) inbred was used as a model for investigating the interactions between growth regulators, reproductive development, and environmental stress. In this genotype, a chilling treatment given just before floral transition caused the topmost ear to abort and be replaced at maturity by a sterile, leaf-like, structure. Exogenous applications of the synthetic auxin 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid or of the cytokinin benzyladenine respectively mimicked or prevented the abortive response caused by chilling. Chilling also induced a moderate decrease in the content of endogenous indoleacetic acid (IAA) in the apical shoot tissues. By contrast, zeatin-type cytokinins decreased dramatically (5–8 fold), both in the apical shoot tissues and in the xylem exudate of chilled plants. Overall, the ratio of free-IAA to zeatin-cytokinins was increased in the apical shoot of chilled plants. Our results suggest that: (1) ear abortion induced by chilling might be related to an altered cytokinin content; (2) the number of developing ears may be limited by the endogenous levels of cytokinins just before floral transition; and (3) cytokinins may have a potential for increasing yield in maize.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Chilling before floral transition aborted the top ear and produced a sterile leaf-like structure.
- Organ / stage
- topmost eare0
- Treatment
- chilling treatmente0
- Outcome
- topmost ear to abort and be replaced at maturity by a sterile, leaf-like, structuree0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“a chilling treatment given just before floral transition caused the topmost ear to abort and be replaced at maturity by a sterile, leaf-like, structure”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Synthetic auxin 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid mimicked chilling-induced ear abortion.
- Treatment
- synthetic auxin 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acide0
- Outcome
- abortive responsee0
- Direction
- mimickede0
- Comparator
- chillinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Exogenous applications of the synthetic auxin 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid or of the cytokinin benzyladenine respectively mimicked or prevented the abortive response caused by chilling”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Benzyladenine prevented chilling-induced ear abortion.
- Treatment
- cytokinin benzyladeninee0
- Outcome
- abortive responsee0
- Direction
- preventede0
- Comparator
- chillinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Exogenous applications of the synthetic auxin 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid or of the cytokinin benzyladenine respectively mimicked or prevented the abortive response caused by chilling”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Chilling moderately reduced apical shoot indoleacetic acid.
- Organ / stage
- apical shoot tissuese0
- Treatment
- Chillinge0
- Outcome
- content of endogenous indoleacetic acid (IAA)e0
- Direction
- moderate decreasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Chilling also induced a moderate decrease in the content of endogenous indoleacetic acid (IAA) in the apical shoot tissues”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Chilling reduced zeatin cytokinins 5–8 fold in apical tissue and xylem exudate.
- Organ / stage
- apical shoot tissuese0
- Treatment
- chilled plantse0
- Outcome
- zeatin-type cytokininse0
- Direction
- decreased dramaticallye0
- Value
- 5–8 folde0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“zeatin-type cytokinins decreased dramatically (5–8 fold), both in the apical shoot tissues and in the xylem exudate of chilled plants”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Chilling raised the free-IAA to zeatin-cytokinin ratio in apical shoots.
- Organ / stage
- apical shoote0
- Treatment
- chilled plantse0
- Outcome
- ratio of free-IAA to zeatin-cytokininse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“the ratio of free-IAA to zeatin-cytokinins was increased in the apical shoot of chilled plants”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest that altered cytokinin content may underlie chilling-induced ear abortion.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“ear abortion induced by chilling might be related to an altered cytokinin content”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest cytokinin levels before floral transition may limit developing ear number.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“the number of developing ears may be limited by the endogenous levels of cytokinins just before floral transition”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest cytokinins may increase maize yield.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“cytokinins may have a potential for increasing yield in maize”
The same questions in other papers
cold · phenology · Zea mays (maize)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- negative
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.