Abscisic acid significantly correlates with increased anthocyanin synthesis in Brassica rapa
Level of Education of Students Involved
Undergraduate
Faculty Sponsor
Rob Swanson
College
College of Arts & Sciences (CAS)
Discipline(s)
Biology, Botany, Environmental Science
ORCID Identifier(s)
0009-0002-9265-6949
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Symposium Date
Spring 4-24-2025
Abstract
Drought stress on plants has increased in intensity, time span, and effected areas in recent years as our climate continues to change. Many plants have stress response adaptations to aid in plant survival through these abiotic conditions such as the abscisic acid hormone or increased anthocyanin synthesis. While these are two known stress responses, it is not yet known whether there is any correlation between these responses that are typically activated in drought environments. This study used a chromatography test on purple hairy-stemmed Brassica rapa plants that underwent drought conditions, with the experimental group receiving an excess concentration of abscisic acid and the control receiving the same treatment amount but of water instead. A significant difference was found between the plants treated with ABA and the control without additional ABA; t(18) =6.69, p=0.001. This study shows that there is a significant positive correlation between the stress hormone abscisic acid and anthocyanin pigmentation when a plant undergoes an abiotic stress, specifically drought. While a significant correlation was found, further studies could explore the exact pathway interactions between these two responses.
Recommended Citation
Jacobs, Emma, "Abscisic acid significantly correlates with increased anthocyanin synthesis in Brassica rapa" (2025). Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 1413.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cus/1413
Biographical Information about Author(s)
Emma Jacobs is a 3rd year senior Environmental Science major. She enjoys her biology based courses and wants to pursue further research in this field. She had previously done an anthocyanin based study in an Ecology course and wanted to continue the topic for her Plant Biology independent research. She hopes to pursue a career in Environmental conservation and restoration after graduation.