Physiologically, abscisic acid (ABA) is believed to be a general inhibitor of plant growth, including during the crucial early development of seedlings. However, this view contradicts many reports of stimulatory effects of ABA that, so far, have not been considered in the debate concerning ABA’s function in plant development. To address this apparent contradiction, we propose a hypothetical mechanism to explain how ABA might contribute to the promotion of cell expansion. We wish to overturn conventional views on ABA’s role during juvenile plant development and put forward the idea that, as for other phytohormones, the role of ABA is determined by dose and sensitivity and ranges from stimulatory to inhibitory effects.

从生理上讲，脱落酸（ABA）被认为是植物生长的一般抑制剂，包括在关键的幼苗早期发育过程中。但是，这种观点与许多关于ABA的刺激作用的报道相矛盾，到目前为止，有关ABA在植物发育中的功能的争论尚未考虑到这一点。为了解决这个明显的矛盾，我们提出了一种假设机制来解释ABA可能如何促进细胞扩增。我们希望推翻关于ABA在幼体植物发育过程中作用的传统观点，并提出这样一种观点，即对于其他植物激素，ABA的作用取决于剂量和敏感性，范围从刺激作用到抑制作用。