Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T22:57:00.689Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Glutathione half-cell reduction potential and α-tocopherol as viability markers during the prolonged storage of Suaeda maritima seeds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 December 2009

Charlotte E. Seal ,
Rosa Zammit ,
Peter Scott ,
Timothy J. Flowers  and
Ilse Kranner
Charlotte E. Seal*
Affiliation:
Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, West SussexRH17 6TN, UK
Rosa Zammit
Affiliation:
School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, BrightonBN1 9QG, UK
Peter Scott
Affiliation:
School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, BrightonBN1 9QG, UK
Timothy J. Flowers
Affiliation:
School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, BrightonBN1 9QG, UK
Ilse Kranner
Affiliation:
Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, West SussexRH17 6TN, UK
*
*Correspondence Fax: +44 (0)1444 894110 Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Antioxidants protect seeds from oxidative damage during storage, supporting the maintenance of seed viability and the ability to germinate post-storage. No data on antioxidants during long-term storage are available for the seeds of the halophyte Suaeda maritima. Therefore, changes in lipid-soluble antioxidants in the tocopherol family (α-, γ-, δ-tocopherol), were investigated in seeds stored for up to 16 years at 4°C at a seed moisture content of 10–13%, as well as changes in the water-soluble antioxidant glutathione (GSH) and electrolyte leakage. Seed oil content was also measured and determined to be 22%. During the first 3 years of storage, seed viability remained high and the concentration of total tocopherol was stable. Thereafter, both seed viability and α-tocopherol concentration rapidly decreased and electrolyte leakage increased, while γ-tocopherol and δ-tocopherol concentrations did not correlate with seed viability. Although the concentrations of neither GSH nor glutathione disulphide (GSSG) alone were correlated with seed viability, the glutathione half-cell reduction potential (EGSSG/2GSH) was strongly correlated with viability throughout storage and increased before the onset of viability loss. Hence, in this species EGSSG/2GSH appeared to be an ‘early warning’ system preceding viability loss while α-tocopherol concentration changed concomitantly with viability.

Keywords

ageingelectrolyte leakageglutathioneseedSuaeda maritimatocopherolviability
Type
Short Communication
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 20 , Issue 1 , March 2010 , pp. 47 - 53
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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

Bailly, C. (2004) Active oxygen species and antioxidants in seed biology. Seed Science Research 14, 93–107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bailly, C., El-Maarouf-Bouteau, H. and Corbineau, F. (2008) From intracellular signaling networks to cell death: the dual role of reactive oxygen species in seed physiology. Comptes Rendus Biologies 331, 806–814.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cairns, N.G., Pasternak, M., Wachter, A., Cobbett, C.S. and Meyer, A.J. (2006) Maturation of Arabidopsis seeds is dependent on glutathione biosynthesis within the embryo. Plant Physiology 141, 446–455.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chaitanya, K.S.K. and Naithani, S.C. (1994) Role of superoxide, lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase in membrane perturbation during loss of viability in seeds of Shorea robusta Gaertn.f. New Phytologist 126, 623–627.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chappell, J.H.andCohn, M.A. (2007) Is oxidative stress the cause of recalcitrant seed death in Spartina alterniflora? South African Journal of Botany 73, 482–483.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Corbineau, F., Gay-Mathieu, C., Vinel, D. and Côme, D. (2002) Decrease in sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seed viability caused by high temperature as related to energy metabolism, membrane damage and lipid composition. Physiologia Plantarum 116, 489–496.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Creissen, G., Firmin, J., Fryer, M., Kular, B., Leyland, N., Reynolds, H., Pastori, G., Wellburn, F., Baker, N., Wellburn, A. and Mullineaux, P. (1999) Elevated glutathione biosynthetic capacity in the chloroplasts of transgenic tobacco plants paradoxically causes increased oxidative stress. The Plant Cell 11, 1277–1292.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Gara, L., de Pinto, M.C. and Arrigoni, O. (1997) Ascorbate synthesis and ascorbate peroxidase activity during the early stage of wheat germination. Physiologia Plantarum 100, 894–900.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Tullio, M.C. and Arrigoni, O. (2003) The ascorbic acid system in seeds: to protect and to serve. Seed Science Research 13, 249–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fessel, S.A., Vieira, R.D., da Cruz, M.C.P., de Paula, R.C. and Panobianco, M. (2006) Electrical conductivity testing of corn seeds as influenced by temperature and period of storage. Pesquisa Agropecuaria Brasileira 41, 1551–1559.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flowers, T.J. (1972) Salt tolerance in Suaeda maritima (L.) Dum.: the effect of sodium chloride on growth, respiration and soluble enzymes in a comparative study with Pisum sativum. Journal of Experimental Botany 23, 310–321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Foyer, C. and Noctor, G. (2005) Redox homeostasis and antioxidant signaling: a metabolic interface between stress perception and physiological responses. The Plant Cell 17, 1866–1875.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Foyer, C. and Noctor, G. (2009) Redox regulation in photosynthetic organisms: signaling, acclimation and practical implications. Antioxidants and Redox Signaling 11, 861–905.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gidrol, X., Serghini, H., Noubhani, A., Mocouot, B. and Mazliak, P. (1989) Biochemical changes induced by accelerated aging in sunflower seeds. I. Lipid peroxidation and membrane damage. Physiologia Plantarum 76, 591–597.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goel, A., Goel, A.K. and Sheoran, I.S. (2003) Changes in oxidative stress enzymes during artificial ageing in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) seeds. Journal of Plant Physiology 160, 1093–1100.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Glenn, E.P., Brown, J.J. and Blumwald, E. (1999) Salt tolerance and crop potential of halophytes. Critical reviews in Plant Sciences 18, 227–255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greggains, V., Finch-Savage, W.E., Quick, W.P. and Atherton, N.M. (2000) Putative desiccation tolerance mechanisms in orthodox and recalcitrant seeds of the genus Acer. Seed Science Research 10, 317–327.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hendry, G.A.F., Finch-Savage, W.E., Thorpe, P.C., Atherton, N.M., Buckland, S.M., Nilsson, K.A. and Seel, W.E. (1992) Free radical processes and loss of seed viability during desiccation in the recalcitrant species Quercus robur L. New Phytologist 122, 273–279.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
ISTA (2007) International rules for seed testing, edition 2008. Zürich, Switzerland, International Seed Testing Association.Google Scholar
Kanwischer, M., Porfirova, S., Bergmüller, E. and Dörmann, P. (2005) Alterations in tocopherol cyclase activity in transgenic and mutant plants of Arabidopsis affect tocopherol content, tocopherol composition and oxidative stress. Plant Physiology 137, 713–723.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kranner, I. and Birtić, S. (2005) A modulating role for antioxidants in desiccation tolerance. Integrated and Comparative Biology 45, 734–740.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kranner, I. and Grill, D. (1996a) Determination of glutathione and glutathione disulfide in lichens: a comparison of frequently used methods. Phytochemical Analysis 7, 24–28.3.0.CO;2-2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kranner, I. and Grill, D. (1996b) Significance of thiol-disulfide exchange in resting stages of plant development. Botanica Acta 109, 8–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kranner, I., Birtić, S., Anderson, K.M.andPritchard, H.W. (2006) Glutathione half-cell reduction potential: a universal stress marker and modulator of programmed cell death? Free Radical Biology and Medicine 40, 2155–2165.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mirdad, Z., Powell, A.A. and Matthews, S. (2006) Prediction of germination in artificially aged seeds of Brassica spp. using the bulk conductivity test. Seed Science and Technology 34, 273–286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Munné-Bosch, S. (2005) The role of α-tocopherol in plant stress tolerance. Journal of Plant Physiology 162, 743–748.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Munné-Bosch, S. and Alegre, L. (2002) The function of tocopherols and tocotrienols in plants. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences 21, 31–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Munné-Bosch, S., Weiler, E.W., Alegre, L., Müller, M., Düchting, P. and Falk, J. (2007) α-Tocopherol may influence cellular signaling by modulating jasmonic acid levels in plants. Planta 225, 681–691.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Noctor, G. and Foyer, C.H. (1998) Ascorbate and glutathione: Keeping active oxygen under control. Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology 49, 249–279.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pfeifhofer, H.W., Willfurth, R., Zorn, M. and Kranner, I. (2002) Analysis of chlorophylls, carotenoids and tocopherols in lichens. pp. 363–378in Kranner, I.; Beckett, R.P.; Varma, A. (Eds) Protocols in lichenology, culturing, biochemistry, ecophysiology and use in biomonitoring. Berlin, Springer Verlag.Google Scholar
Priestley, D.A., McBride, M.B. and Leopold, C. (1980) Tocopherol and organic free radical levels in soybean seeds during natural and accelerated ageing. Plant Physiology 66, 715–719.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pukacka, S. (1991) Changes in membrane lipid components and antioxidant levels during natural ageing of seeds of Acer platanoides. Physiologia Plantarum 82, 306–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pukacka, S. and Ratajczak, E. (2007) Age-related biochemical changes during storage of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) seeds. Seed Science Research 17, 45–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pukacka, S. and Wójkiewicz, E. (2003) The effect of the temperature of drying on viability and some factors affecting storability of Fagus sylvatica seeds. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum 25, 163–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ratajczak, E. and Pukacka, S. (2005) Decrease in beech (Fagus sylvatica) seed viability caused by temperature and humidity conditions as related to membrane damage and lipid composition. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum 27, 3–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reichheld, J.-P., Khafif, M., Riondet, C., Droux, M., Bonnard, G. and Meyer, Y. (2007) Inactivation of thioredoxin reductases reveals a complex interplay between thioredoxin and glutathione pathways in Arabidopsis development. The Plant Cell 19, 1851–1865.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rouhier, N., Lemaire, S.D. and Jacquot, J.-P. (2008) The role of glutathione in photosynthetic organisms: Emerging functions for glutaredoxins and glutathionylation. Annual Review of Plant Biology 59, 143–166.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sattler, S.E., Gilliland, L.U., Magallanes-Lundback, M., Pollard, M. and DellaPenna, D. (2004) Vitamin E is essential for seed longevity and for preventing lipid peroxidation during germination. The Plant Cell 16, 1419–1432.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schafer, F.Q. and Buettner, G.R. (2001) Redox environment of the cell as viewed through the redox state of the glutathione disulphide/glutathione couple. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 30, 1191–1212.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Seal, C.E., Kranner, I. and Pritchard, H.W. (2008) Quantification of seed oil from species with varying oil content using supercritical fluid extraction. Phytochemical Analysis 19, 493–498.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Senaratna, T., Gusse, J.F. and McKersie, B.D. (1988) Age-induced changes in cellular membranes of imbibed soybean seed axes. Physiologia Plantarum 73, 85–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simontacchi, M., Sadovsky, L. and Puntarulo, S. (2003) Profile of antioxidant content upon developing of Sorghum bicolor seeds. Plant Science 164, 709–715.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stewart, R.R.C. and Bewley, J.D. (1980) Lipid peroxidation associated with accelerated aging of soybean axes. Plant Physiology 65, 245–248.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tammela, P., Salo-Väänänen, P., Laakso, I., Hopia, A., Vuorela, H. and Nygren, M. (2005) Tocopherols, tocotrienols and fatty acids as indicators of natural ageing in Pinus sylvestris seeds. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 20, 378–384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thapliyal, R. and Connor, K. (1997) Effects of accelerated ageing on viability, leachate exudation, and fatty acid content of Dalbergia sisso Roxb. seeds. Seed Science and Technology 25, 311–319.Google Scholar
Tommasi, F., Paciolla, C. and Arrigoni, O. (1999) The ascorbate system in recalcitrant and orthodox seeds. Physiologia Plantarum 105, 193–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vernoux, T., Wilson, R.C., Seeley, K.A., Reichheld, J.-P., Muroy, S., Brown, S., Maughan, S.C., Cobbett, C.S., Van Montagu, M., Inzé, D., May, M.J. and Sung, Z.R. (2000) The ROOT MERISTEMLESS1/CADMIUM SENSITIVE2 gene defines a glutathione-dependent pathway involved in initiation and maintenance of cell division during postembryonic root development. The Plant Cell 12, 97–109.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walters, C. (1998) Understanding the mechanisms and kinetics of seed aging. Seed Science Research 8, 223–244.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walters, C., Hill, L.M. and Wheeler, L.J. (2005) Dying while dry: kinetics and mechanisms of deterioration on desiccated organisms. Integrative and Comparative Biology 45, 751–758.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wetson, A.M., Cassaniti, C.andFlowers, T.J. (2008) Do conditions during dormancy influence germination of Suaeda maritima? Annals of Botany 101, 1319–1327.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilson, D.O. and McDonald, M.B. (1986) The lipid peroxidation model of seed ageing. Seed Science and Technology 14, 269–300.Google Scholar
Yeo, A.R. and Flowers, T.J. (1980) Salt tolerance in the halophyte Suaeda maritima L. Dum.: Evaluation of the effect of salinity upon growth. Journal of Experimental Botany 31, 1171–1183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar