Gibberellin promotes seed germination and growth in darkness under nutrient starvation by triggering selective breakdown of growth inhibitors through autophagy in Arabidopsis

Gibberellin (GA) promotes the autophagic degradation of DELLA proteins to facilitate seed germination and skotomorphogenesis under nutrient starvation.

• GA is essential for seed germination and growth in darkness, particularly under nutrient-limited conditions.
• Autophagy mutants show impaired responsiveness to GA during seed germination and skotomorphogenesis.
• GA triggers the nuclear export of DELLA proteins and their co-localization with ATG8 in autophagosomes.
• The interaction between ATG8 and GID1 is enhanced by GA, promoting the degradation of DELLA proteins.
• This process supports seedlings in overcoming nutrient deficiency by enabling rapid soil penetration and sunlight capture.

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