Exogenous GA3 promoted flower-bud differentiation and significantly increased flowering rates in an experimental study of the ornamental plant Lycoris aurea, also known as golden spider lily. The researchers identified 200 mg/L as the optimal GA3 concentration. The study examined the response under experimental conditions and combined histological observations with flowering measurements, hormone and carbohydrate measurements, and integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to investigate the biological processes associated with the treatment.

L. aurea is characterized by a prolonged vegetative phase and delayed flowering, both of which limit the species’ ornamental and commercial value. The study tested whether applying GA3 could promote flower-bud differentiation and shorten the flowering cycle. Histological analysis showed that GA3 treatment promoted the differentiation of floral primordia, while the flowering rate increased significantly.

The results support a treatment effect in the tested plant system, but the supplied findings do not establish how the treatment performs across field environments or commercial production systems, nor do they establish that every developmental stage of the vegetative phase was shortened. Hormone profiling showed that GA3 treatment was accompanied by dynamic changes in GA3, IAA, ABA and ZR during early flower-bud differentiation. The multi-omics analysis indicated that GA3 activated GA signaling through GID1, increased the expression of SAUR and SnRK2 genes in the IAA and ABA pathways, and suppressed JA-Ile signaling.

These coordinated molecular responses support the conclusion that GA3 affected more than a single signaling pathway. The reported evidence links these changes with promoted flower-bud differentiation, although it does not establish which individual molecular changes are necessary for the flowering response. Carbohydrate measurements also revealed a metabolic shift during early differentiation, with starch, sucrose and SS accumulating as floral primordium development began.

Transcriptomic analysis showed coordinated regulation of genes associated with starch metabolism and sucrose-related processes, including PYG, AMY, HK, SUS and ostA/B. The metabolomic analysis identified sugar-related signals including glucose, trehalose and isomaltose, which the researchers associated with support for flower development. Taken together, the findings suggest that GA3 promoted flower-bud differentiation through crosstalk between hormone signaling and carbohydrate metabolism, while providing evidence for 200 mg/L as the optimal concentration among those tested.

Subject of Research: GA3-mediated flower-bud differentiation and metabolic regulation in Lycoris aurea

Article Title: Exogenous GA3 promotes flower bud differentiation in Lycoris aurea by modulating hormone signaling and carbohydrate metabolism

Article References: Li, Y., Smagghe, G., Hu, Z., Wang, Y., Cernava, T., Zhang, B., Hu, X., & Chen, X. (2026). Exogenous GA3 promotes flower bud differentiation in Lycoris aurea by modulating hormone signaling and carbohydrate metabolism. BMC Plant Biology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-09772-4

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12870-026-09772-4

Keywords: Lycoris aurea, GA3 treatment, flower-bud differentiation, flowering rate, plant hormone signaling, carbohydrate metabolism, floral primordia, transcriptomics, metabolomics, Exogenous, promotes, flower