Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T13:50:43.626Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Natural priming of Wigandia urens seeds during burial: effects on germination, growth and protein expression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2007

Lourdes González-Zertuche
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM
Carlos Vázquez-Yanes
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-275, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México, D. F. México
Alicia Gamboa
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-275, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México, D. F. México
M. Esther Sánchez-Coronado
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-275, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México, D. F. México
Patricia Aguilera
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-275, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México, D. F. México
Alma Orozco-Segovia*
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-275, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México, D. F. México
*
*Correspondence Tel: (525)6 22 90 08 Fax: (525) 6 16 19 76 and 6 22 89 95 Email: [email protected]

Abstract

To determine whether seeds of the weedy shrub Wigandia urens, from the Valley of Mexico, undergo natural priming when buried in soil, comparative experiments were performed with seeds: (1) harvested directly from the plants; (2) buried in three natural habitat conditions; and (3) laboratory primed with polyethylene glycol. Seeds were sown in a growth chamber and in a shade house. Final germination percentages, emergence, germination and emergence rates, survival and initial growth were determined. Burial and priming enhanced the germination and emergence parameters evaluated in the laboratory and in the shade house. Effects of treatments on survival were not significantly different. Nevertheless, burial improved emergence and mean survival, and induced differences in specific leaf area of seedlings that could have ecological significance. Heat-stable proteins were extracted and electrophoresed. Proteins formed in W. urens seeds during burial had molecular weights (14–21 kDa) similar to those reported for late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins induced by priming in other species. Nevertheless, the presence and abundance of proteins expressed (14–23, 36 and more than 45 kDa) differed among control, primed and buried seeds. During soil burial, molecular and physiological responses were induced that were similar to the effects of priming.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2001

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

Allen, P.S. and Meyer, S.E. (1998) Ecological aspects of seed dormancy loss. Seed Science Research 8, 183191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baskin, C.C. and Baskin, J.M. (1998) Seeds. Ecology, biogeography, and evolution of dormancy and germination. San Diego, Academic Press.Google Scholar
Bazzaz, F.A. (1996) Plants in changing environments: Linking physiological, population, and community ecology. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Blackman, S.A., Wettlaufer, S.H., Obendorf, R.L. and Leopold, A.C. (1991) Maturation proteins associated with desiccation tolerance in soybean. Plant Physiology 96, 868874.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boas, M.L. (1983). Mathematical methods in the physical sciences (2nd edition). New York, John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Bradford, K.J. (1990) A water relations analysis of seed germination rates. Plant Physiology 94, 840849.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bradford, K. (1995) Water relations in seed germination. pp. 351396in Kigel, J.Galili, G. (Eds) Seed development and germination. New York, Marcel Dekker.Google Scholar
Bradford, K.J. (1996) Population-based models describing seed dormancy behaviour: Implications for experimental design and interpretation. pp. 313339in Lang, G.A. (Ed.) Plant dormancy: Physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology. Wallingford, CAB International.Google Scholar
Bray, C.M. (1995) Biochemical processes during the osmopriming of seeds. pp. 767789in Kigel, J.Galili, G. (Eds) Seed development and germination. New York, Marcel Dekker.Google Scholar
Bruggink, T. and van der Toorn, P. (1995) Induction of desiccation tolerance in germinated seeds. Seed Science Research 5, 14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cayuela, E., Pérez-Alfocea, F., Caro, M. and Bolarín, M.C. (1996) Priming of seeds with NaCl induces physiological changes in tomato plants grown under salt stress. Physiologia Plantarum 96, 231236.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christensen, M., Meyer, S.E. and Allen, P.S. (1996) A hydrothermal time model of seed after-ripening in Bromus tectorum L. Seed Science Research 6, 155163.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davison, P.A. and Bray, C.M. (1991) Protein synthesis during osmopriming of leek (Allium porrum L.) seeds. Seed Science Research 1, 2935.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellis, R.H. and Butcher, P.D. (1988) The effects of priming and ′natural′ differences in quality amongst onion seed lots on the response of the rate of germination to temperature and the identification of the characteristics under genotypic control. Journal of Experimental Botany 39, 935950.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fenner, M. (1985) Seed ecology. London, Chapman and Hall.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finch-Savage, W.E. and Phelps, K. (1993) Onion (Allium cepa L.) seedling emergence patterns can be explained by the influence of soil temperature and water potential on seed germination. Journal of Experimental Botany 44, 407414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finkelstein, L. and Carson, E.R. (1986) Mathematical modeling of dynamic biological systems (2nd edition). New York, Research Studies Press.Google Scholar
García, F.C., Jiménez, L.F. and Vázquez-Ramos, J.M. (1995) Biochemical and cytological studies on osmoprimed maize seeds. Seed Science Research 5, 1523.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hilhorst, H.W.M. (1995) A critical update on seed dormancy. I. Primary dormancy. Seed Science Research 5, 6173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hunt, R. (1982) Plant growth curves: The functional approach to plant growth analysis. London, Edward Arnold.Google Scholar
Job, C., Kersulec, A., Ravasio, L., Chareyre, S., Pepin, R. and Job, D. (1997) The solubilization of the basic subunit of sugarbeet seed 11-S globulin during priming and early germination. Seed Science Research 7, 225243.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, Y.Q., Bino, R.J., van der Burg, W.J., Groot, S.P.C. and Hilhorst, H.W.M. (1996) Effects of osmotic priming on dormancy and storability of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) seeds. Seed Science Research 6, 4955.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Özbingöl, N., Corbineau, F. and Côme, D. (1998) Responses of tomato seeds to osmoconditioning as related to temperature and oxygen. Seed Science Research 8, 377384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Priestley, D.A. (1986) Seed aging. Implications for seed storage and persistence in the soil. Ithaca, NY, Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
Sun, W.Q., Koh, D.C.Y. and Ong, C.M. (1997) Correlation of modified water sorption properties with the decline of storage stability of osmotically-primed seeds of Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek. Seed Science Research 7, 391397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yamamoto, I., Turgeon, A.J. and Duich, J. M. (1997 a) Field emergence of solid matrix seed primed turfgrasses. Crop Science 37, 220225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yamamoto, I., Turgeon, A.J. and Duich, J. M. (1997 b) Seedling emergence and growth of solid matrix primed Kentucky bluegrass seed. Crop Science 37, 225229.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zheng, G.H., Wilen, R.W., Slinkard, A.E. and Gusta, L.V. (1994) Enhancement of canola seed germination and seedling emergence at low temperature by priming. Crop Science 34, 15891593.CrossRefGoogle Scholar