Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T02:51:27.007Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of fusicoccin and gibberellic acid on the germination of embryos from dormant barley grains: roles of starch degradation and external pH

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2007

René M. van der Meulen ,
Gerda E.M. Lamers ,
Martien P.M. Caspers ,
Jolanda C. Heistek ,
Albertus H. de Boer ,
Bert van Duijn  and
Mei Wang
René M. van der Meulen
Affiliation:
Center for Phytotechnology RUL/TNO, TNO Applied Plant Sciences Department, Wassenaarseweg 64, 2333 AL Leiden, The Netherlands
Gerda E.M. Lamers
Affiliation:
Center for Phytotechnology RUL/TNO, EMCA Unit, Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 64, 2333 AL Leiden, The Netherlands
Martien P.M. Caspers
Affiliation:
Center for Phytotechnology RUL/TNO, TNO Applied Plant Sciences Department, Wassenaarseweg 64, 2333 AL Leiden, The Netherlands
Jolanda C. Heistek
Affiliation:
Center for Phytotechnology RUL/TNO, TNO Applied Plant Sciences Department, Wassenaarseweg 64, 2333 AL Leiden, The Netherlands
Albertus H. de Boer
Affiliation:
Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute for Molecular Biological Sciences, BioCentrum, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Bert van Duijn
Affiliation:
Center for Phytotechnology RUL/TNO, TNO Applied Plant Sciences Department, Wassenaarseweg 64, 2333 AL Leiden, The Netherlands
Mei Wang*
Affiliation:
Center for Phytotechnology RUL/TNO, TNO Applied Plant Sciences Department, Wassenaarseweg 64, 2333 AL Leiden, The Netherlands
*
Correspondence Tel: +31–71–5274914 Fax: +31–71–5274863 Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Abstract In isolated embryos from dormant barley grains, synergistic effects of fusicoccin (FC) and gibberellic acid (GA3) were observed on the induction of α-amylase mRNA expression. However, no α-amylase mRNA expression could be induced by both agents in embryos from non-dormant grains. Both light- and electron-microscopy studies demonstrated that there were large numbers of starch granules present in mature embryos (mainly in scutellum) from dormant barley grains but none or almost none in embryos from non-dormant grains. Furthermore, the content of reducing sugars in embryos from dormant grains was about half of that from non-dormant grains. In contrast to GA3, FC was able to induce a strong acidification of extracellular pH (pHe). Clamping the pHe to prevent FC-induced acidification, by using 50 mM MES buffer (pH 5.6), caused an inhibition of GA3- or FC-induced α-amylase mRNA expression but did not affect the germination of embryos from dormant grains. In addition, in MES buffer, addition of FC or a combination of FC and GA3increased the germination rate of embryos isolated from dormant grains, though large numbers of starch granules were still present in these embryos. Based on these observations, the presence of starch granules and a low reducing sugar level in embryos from dormant grains is not a factor for control of grain dormancy and germination.

Keywords

α-amylasedormancyembryo germinationfusicoccingibberellic acidHordeum distichumpHstarch degradation
Type
Research Article
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , June 2000 , pp. 171 - 182
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2000

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

Bewley, J.D. and Black, M. (1982) Physiology and biochemistry of seeds. Volume 2: Viability, dormancy, and environmental control. Berlin, Springer.Google Scholar
Bewley, J.D. and Black, M. (1994) Seeds: Physiology of development and germination (2nd edition). New York, Plenum Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Black, M., Corbineau, F., Grzesik, M., Guy, P. and Côme, D. (1996) Carbohydrate metabolism in the developing and maturing wheat embryo in relation to its desiccation tolerance. Journal of Experimental Botany 47, 161–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Boer, B. (1997) Fusicoccin - a key to multiple 14–3–3 locks. Trends in Plant Science 2, 60–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galli, M.G., Sparvoli, E. and Gario, M. (1975) Comparative effects of fusicoccin and gibberellic acid on the promotion of germination and DNA synthesis initiation in Haplopappus gracilis. Plant Science Letters 5, 351–357.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garcia-Maya, M., Chapman, J.M. and Black, M. (1990) Regulation of α-amylase formation and gene expression in the developing wheat embryo. Role of abscisic acid, the osmotic environment and gibberellin. Planta 181, 296–303.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karssen, C.M. (1976) Two sites of hormonal action during germination of Chenopodium album L. seeds. Physiologia Plantarum 36, 264–270.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lado, P., Rasi-Caldogno, F. and Colombo, R. (1974) Promoting effect of fusicoccin on seed germination. Physiologia Plantarum 31, 149–152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leprince, O., Bronchart, R. and Deltour, R. (1990) Changes in starch and soluble sugars in relation to the acquisition of desiccation tolerance during maturation of Brassica campestris seed. Plant, Cell and Environment 13, 539–546.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maragatha-Vally, K.J. and Sharma, R. (1995) Light-induced chloroplast alpha-amylase in pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum). Plant Physiology 107, 401–405.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marrè, E. (1979) Fusicoccin: a tool in plant physiology. Annual Review of Plant Physiology 30, 273–288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Muromtsev, G.S. (1996) Is fusicoccin a new phytohormone? Russian Journal of Plant Physiology 43, 421–433.Google Scholar
Rogers, J.C. (1985) Two barley alpha-amylase gene families are regulated differently in aleurone cells. Journal of Biological Chemistry 260, 3731–3738.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schuurink, R.C., Van Beckum, J.M.M. and Heidekamp, F. (1992) Modulation of grain dormancy in barley by variation of plant growth conditions. Hereditas 117, 137–143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sinjorgo, K.M.C., De Vries, M.A., Heistek, J.C., Van Zeijl, M.J., Van der Veen, S.W. and Douma, A.C. (1993) The effect of external pH on the gibberellic acid response of barley aleurone. Journal of Plant Physiology 142, 506–509.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smart, M.G. and O'Brien, T.P. (1983) The development of the wheat embryo in relation to the neighbouring tissues. Protoplasma 114, 1–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Somogyi, M. (1952) Notes on sugar determination. Journal of Biological Chemistry 195, 19–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swift, J.G. and O'Brien, T.P. (1972) The fine structure of the wheat scutellum during germination. Australian Journal of Biological Sciences 25, 469–486.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 non-dormant barley grains. Physiologia Plantarum 89, 483–489.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van der Meulen, R.M., Vredenbregt-Heistek, J.C., Caspers, M.P.M. and Wang, M. (2000) Effects of fusicoccin and gibberellic acid on germination and α-amylase expression in barley grains. pp. 341–346 in Black, M.; Bradford, K.J.; Vazquez-Ramos, J. (Eds) Seed biology: advances and applications. Wallingford, UK, CAB International.Google Scholar
Wang, M., Van Duijn, B., van der Meulen, R.M. and Heidekamp, F. (1992) Effect of abscisic acid analogues on intracellular calcium level and gene expression in barley aleurone protoplasts. pp. 635–642 in Karssen, C.M.; van Loon, L.C.; Vreugdenhil, D. (Eds) Plant growth substances. Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Press.Google Scholar
Wang, M., van der Meulen, R.M., Visser, K., Van Schaik, H.P., Van Duijn, B. and De Boer, A.H. (1998 a) Effects of dormancy-breaking chemicals on ABA levels in barley grain embryos. Seed Science Research 8, 129–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, M., Oppedijk, B.J., Caspers, M.P.M., Lamers, G.E.M., Boot, M.J., Geerlings, D.N.G., Bakhuizen, B., Meijer, A.H. and Van Duijn, B. (1998 b) Spatial and temporal regulation of DNA fragmentation in the aleurone of germinating barley. Journal of Experimental Botany 49, 1293–1301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar