Gibberellic acid inhibition of tillering in tall fescue involving crosstalks with cytokinins and transcriptional regulation of genes controlling axillary bud outgrowth

Tiller production in grass species is controlled by both axillary bud initiation and bud outgrowth, which may be regulated by plant hormones. However, how gibberellic acid (GA) affects tillering in perennial grass species is still unclear. This study aims to elucidate the roles and the underlying mechanisms of GA in regulating tiller development. Tall fescue seedlings were treated with different concentrations of GA3 by foliar application, dose-dependent inhibitory effects of GA on tiller production were observed. GA3 (25 μM) slowed down the transition from axillary buds to tillers by specifically inhibiting the outgrowth of axillary buds. GA-inhibition of tillering were not related to endogenous content for auxin or strigolactone, but was mainly due to the antagonistic interaction with cytokinins (CK), as shown by the decreased CK content and up-regulation expression of CK degradation genes in GA3-treated plants. Furthermore, GA could act through regulating the expression of FaTB1 specifically expressed in axillary buds to repress bud outgrowth. These results provide insights for the regulatory mechanisms of GA for tiller bud outgrowth through crosstalks with CK and signaling of FaTB1 expression.