Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T11:57:52.726Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Wheat seed ageing and embryo protein degradation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2008

A. Dell'Aquila*
Affiliation:
Germplasm Institute, C.N.R., 70126 Bari, Italy
*
* Correspondence

Abstract

Wheat seed lots of different viability were obtained by an accelerated ageing technique in which seeds were hydrated up to 12.5–14.5% on a fresh weight basis and stored at 35°C. Ageing was accompanied by a progressive delay of the onset of germination and a decrease of [35S]-methionine uptake and incorporation into soluble proteins of the imbibing embryos. A detailed analysis of newly synthesized proteins by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that normal protein patterns during the germination process were impaired by ageing. Only two groups of polypeptides with molecular masses of 84.9–69.5 and 66.6–60.2 kDa, respectively, were actively produced while most proteins decreased or were definitely degraded. Our results suggest that the biochemical changes required for germination are gradually opposed by a deterioration process and that some newly-synthesized polypeptides can be taken as markers in assessing seed survival of ageing stress.

Type
Research Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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

Abdul-Baki, A.A. (1980) Biochemical aspects of seed vigor. HortScience (special insert) 15, 765771.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bewley, J.D. and Black, M. (1978) Physiology and biochemistry of seeds in relation to germination. I. Development, germination and growth. Berlin, Springer-Verlag.Google Scholar
Blowers, L.E., Stormonth, D.A. and Bray, C.M. (1980) Nucleic acid and protein synthesis and loss of vigour in germinating wheat embryos. Planta 150, 1925.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chauhan, K.P.S., Gopinathan, M.C. and Babu, C.R. (1985) Electrophoretic variations of proteins and enzymes in relation to seed quality. Seed Science and Technology 13, 629641.Google Scholar
Cherry, J.P. (1983) Protein degradation during seed deterioration. Phytopathology 73, 317321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dell'Aqnila, A. (1987) Mean germination time as a monitor of the seed ageing. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 25, 761768.Google Scholar
Dell'Aquila, A. and Margiotta, B. (1986) DNA synthesis and mitotic activity in germinating wheat seeds aged under various conditions. Environmental and Experimental Botany 26, 175184.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dell'Aquila, A. and Spada, P. (1992) Regulation of protein synthesis in germinating wheat embyros under polyethylene glycol and salt stress. Seed Science Research 2, 7580.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dell'Aquila, A. and Spada, P. (1994) Effect of low and high temperatures on protein synthesis patterns of germinating wheat embryos. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 32, 6573.Google Scholar
Dell'Aquila, A., Colaprico, G., Taranto, G. and Carella, G. (1983) Endosperm protein changes in developing and germinating aestivum, T., turgidum, T. and monococcum, T. seeds. Cereal Research Communications 11, 107113.Google Scholar
Ellis, R.H. and Roberts, E.H. (1981) The quantification of ageing and survival in orthodox seeds. Seed Science and Technology 9, 373409.Google Scholar
Gidrol, X., Noubhani, A., Mocquot, B., Fournier, A. and Pradet, A. (1988) Effect of accelerated aging on protein synthesis in two legume seeds. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 26, 281288.Google Scholar
Halmer, P. and Bewley, J.D. (1984) A physiological perspective on seed vigour testing. Seed Science and Technology 12, 561575.Google Scholar
Laskey, R.A. and Mills, A.D. (1975) Quantitative film detection of 3 H and 14C in polyacrylamide gels by fluoro-graphy. European Journal of Biochemistry 56, 335341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laemmli, U.K. (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 277, 680685.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Osborne, D.J. (1980) Senescence in seeds, pp 1337in Thimann, K.V. (Ed.) Senescence in plants. Boca Raton, Florida, CRC Press, Inc.Google Scholar
Priestley, D.A. (1986) Morphological, structural and biochemical changes associated with seed aging. pp 125195in Priestley, D.A. (Ed.) Seed aging. Ithaca, London, Comstock Publishing Associates.Google Scholar
Roberts, E.H. (1972) Storage environment and the control of viability. pp 1458in Roberts, E.H. (Ed.) Viability of seeds. London, Chapman and Hall.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tadmor, N.H., Cohen, Y. and Harpaz, Y. (1969) Interactive effects of temperature and osmotic potential on the germination of range plants. Crop Science 9, 771774.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodstock, L.W. (1973) Physiological and biochemical tests for seed vigor. Seed Science and Technology 1, 127157.Google Scholar