Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T11:11:50.716Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Chemical mechanisms of breaking seed dormancy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2008

Marc Alan Cohn
Marc Alan Cohn
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Features of chemicals which break seed dormancy and the mechanisms of their action are discussed with reference to results obtained with red rice (Oryza sativa) and other relevant research. The significance of chemical structure, including the nature and location of functional groups, is considered, and the fact that similar structures can elicit different biochemical responses is illustrated with examples. As yet it is unclear whether changes in cell pH, highly correlated with the uptake of, and metabolism to, weak acids, and which some consider a possible trigger or marker in dormancy breaking, are causative, consequential or merely correlative. Uptake and metabolism of dormancy-breaking compounds is, or can be, very rapid and the importance of establishing the time course of dormancy-breaking, as opposed to germination events, is emphasized.

Keywords

Oryza sativared ricedormancy breakingstructure-activity studiespHorganic acids carbon-13 NMRalcoholsfructose 2,6-bisphosphate
Type
Research Papers
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 6 , Issue 3 , September 1996 , pp. 95 - 99
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Brooks, C.A. and Mitchell, C.A. (1988) Effect of salicylhydroxamic acid on endosperm strength and embryo growth of Lactuca sativa L. cv. Waldmann's Green seeds. Plant Physiology 86, 826–829.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clark, J.F. (1898) Electrolytic dissociation and toxic effect. Journal of Physical Chemistry 3, 263–316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohn, M.A. (1989) Factors influencing the efficacy of dormancy-breaking chemicals. pp 261–267 in Taylorson, R.B. (Ed.) Recent advances in development and germination of seeds. New York, Plenum Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohn, M.A. (1987) Mechanisms of physiological dormancy. pp 14–20 in Frasier, G.W., Evans, R.A. (Eds) Seed and seedbed ecology of rangeland plants. Washington, USDA-ARS.Google Scholar
Cohn, M.A. and Castle, L. (1984) Dormancy in red rice. IV. Response of unimbibed and imbibing seeds to nitrogen dioxide. Physiologia Plantarum 60, 552–556.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohn, M.A. and Footitt, S. (1993) Initial signal transduction steps during the dormancy-breaking process. pp 599–605 in Come, D., Corbineau, F. (Eds) Proceedings of the Fourth International Workshop on Seeds: Basic and applied aspects of seed biology, Volume 2. Paris, ASFIS.Google Scholar
Cohn, M.A. and Hughes, J.A. (1986) Seed dormancy in red rice. V. Response to azide, hydroxylamine, and cyanide. Plant Physiology 80, 531–533.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohn, M.A., Butera, D.L. and Hughes, J.A. (1983) Seed dormancy in red rice. III. Response to nitrite, nitrate, and ammonium ions. Plant Physiology 73, 381–384.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cohn, M.A., Chiles, L.A., Hughes, J.A. and Boullion, K.J. (1987) Seed dormancy in red rice. VI. Monocarboxylic acids: a new class of pH-dependent germination stimulants. Plant Physiology 84, 716–719.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohn, M.A., Church, D.F., Ranken, J. and Sanchez, V. (1991) Hydroxyl group position governs activity of dormancy-breaking chemicals. (Abstract No. 411). Plant Physiology 96, S 63.Google Scholar
Cohn, M.A., Jones, K.L., Chiles, L.A. and Church, D.F. (1989) Seed dormancy in red rice. VII. Structure-activity studies of germination stimulants. Plant Physiology 89, 879–882.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eckerson, S. (1913) A physiological and chemical study of afterripening. Botanical Gazette 55, 286–299.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Epel, D. (1990) The initiation of development at fertilization. Cell Differentiation and Development 29, 1–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Esashi, Y., Zhang, M., Segawa, K., Furihata, T., Nakaya, M. and Maeda, Y. (1994) Possible involvement of volatile compounds in the after-ripening of cocklebur seeds. Physiologia Plantarum 90, 577–583.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Footitt, S. (1993) Seed dormancy in red rice (Oryza sativa): changes in embryo pH and metabolism during the dormancy-breaking process. PhD Thesis, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.Google Scholar
Footitt, S. and Cohn, M.A. (1995) Seed dormancy in red rice. IX. Embryo fructose-2,6-bisphosphate during dormancy breaking and subsequent germination. Plant Physiology 107, 1365–1370.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Footitt, S. and Cohn, M.A. (1992a) Seed dormancy in red rice. VIII. Embryo acidification during dormancy-breaking and subsequent germination. Plant Physiology 100, 1196–1202.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Footitt, S. and Cohn, M.A. (1992b) Levels of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate in red rice embryos during dormancy-breaking and germination. Abstract No. 64 in Walker-Simmons, M.K., Reid, J.L. (Eds) Sixth International Symposium on pre-harvest sprouting in cereals.Google Scholar
Footitt, S., Vargas, D. and Cohn, M.A. (1995) Seed dormancy in red rice. X. A 13C-NMR study of the metabolism of dormancy-breaking chemicals. Physiologia Plantarum 94, 667–671.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Francois, J., Van Schaftingen, E. and Hers, H.G. (1988) Characterization of phosphofructokinase 2 and of enzymes involved in the degradation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate in yeast. European Journal of Biochemistry 171, 599–608.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harvey, E.N. (1911) Studies on the permeability of cells. Journal of Experimental Zoology 10, 507–556.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, H.A. (1920) Physiological study of maple seeds. Botanical Gazette 69, 127–152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Loeb, J. (1913) Artificial parthenogenesis and fertilization. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Overton, C.E. (1901) Studien uber die Narkose. G. Fischer, Jena. English translation available as: Lipnick, R.L. (1991) Studies of narcosis. New York, Chapman and Hall.Google Scholar
Pack, D.A. (1921) After-ripening and germination of Juniperus seeds. Botanical Gazette 71, 32–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petel, G., Candelier, P. and Gendraud, M. (1993) Effect of ethanol on filiate tubers of Jerusalem artichoke: a new tool to study tuber dormancy. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 31, 67–71.Google Scholar
Rose, R.C. (1919) After-ripening and germination of seeds of Tilia, Sambucus, and Rubus. Botanical Gazette 67, 281–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylorson, R.B. (1991) Interactions of alcohols and increased air pressure on Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. seed germination. Annals of Botany 68, 337–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylorson, R.B. and Hendricks, S.B. (1979) Overcoming dormancy in seeds with ethanol and other anesthetics. Planta 145, 507–510.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tilsner, H.R. and Upadhyaya, M.K. (1989) The effect of pH on the action of respiratory inhibitors in Avena fatua seeds. Annals of Botany 64, 707–711.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Beckum, J.M.M., Libbenga, K.R. and Wang, M. (1993) Abscisic acid and gibberellic acid-regulated responses of embryos and aleurone layers isolated from dormant and nondormant barley grains. Physiologia Plantarum 89, 483–489CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Mulders, R.M., Van Laere, A.J. and Verbeke, M.N. (1986) Effects of pH and cations on the germination induction of Phycomyces spores with carboxylic acids. Biochemie und Physiologie der Pflanzen 181, 103–115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Schaftingen, E. (1984) D-fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. pp 335–341 in Bergmeyer, H.U., Bergmeyer, J., Grossl, M. (Eds) Methods in enzymatic analysis, Vol 16, Metabolism 1: Carbohydrates. Weinheim, Verlag Chemie.Google Scholar
Warth, A.D. (1991) Effect of benzoic acid on glycolytic metabolite levels and intracellular pH in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 57, 3415–3417.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed