梣叶槭种子中的抑制物质及其与种子萌发的关系(简报)

梣叶槭种子的果皮、种皮(内外)和种仁内均有抑制物质存在,果皮和种仁内较多。低温(5℃,10℃)和变温(30℃昼/5℃夜)层积的种仁内抑制物质显著减少,种子萌发加速。种子完成生理后熟后,果皮和种皮内虽然滞留一些抑制物质,但种子仍然可以萌发。     

小麦萌发素G和ψG的纯化及其部分特性

利用亲和层析方法纯化了小麦草酸氧化酶G和ψG,并对其生化特性进行了初步分析.G和ψG的最适pH为3.5,在60℃以下较稳定.当草酸浓度大于0.2mmol/L时,G和ψG的活性受到抑制.G和ψG的Km值分别为0.084和0.053mmol/L.0.1 mmol/L的EDTA、NH4 、Cl-、Mn2 、Mg2 、Na 和K 对G和ψG的活性没有影响,0.1 mmol/L的Zn2 、Cu2 、Fez 、Al3 、CO32-、NO3-和SO42-抑制G和ψG的活性.0.1 mmol/L的H2PO4-和HPO42-仅抑制G的活性.0.1 mmol/L的核黄素、FMN和FAD抑制ψG活性,G的活性则不受FAD和FMN的影响.     

转反义trxs基因对小麦种子萌发过程中淀粉水解酶的影响

检测转反义trxs基因小麦种子萌发过程中胚乳内α-淀粉酶、β-淀粉酶和支链淀粉酶活性变化的结果表明,在种子萌发4d内,转基因小麦3种酶的活性态酶活性均低于野生型小麦,而3种酶的抑制态酶活性则均高于野生型小麦,转基因小麦淀粉酶的抑制程度高于野生型小麦,这可能是转基因小麦酶活性降低的原因之一。     

两种结缕草种子休眠及萌发特性

通过测定兰引Ⅲ号结缕草和青岛结缕草休眠种子和解除休眠种子的吸水率、呼吸强度和脱氢酶活性等萌发生理指标,探讨了结缕草种子的休眠类型。试验结果表明,解除休眠的结缕草种子的吸水率大于未处理的种子。解除休眠种子的呼吸强度、脱氢酶活性都有较大幅度的增长,显著高于未处理。结缕草种子萌发期需30～35℃高温和充足光照。两种结缕草种子的颖壳、种皮的透性障碍及种子内存在发芽抑制物质是导致种子休眠的主要原因,属于混合休眠类型。     

逆境条件下小麦种子活力与种子萌发相关酶活性及其基因表达的关系

分析不同基因型小麦品种逆境萌发过程中种子萌发相关酶活性及基因表达差异,明确在逆境条件下,种子活力与种子萌发相关酶活性及基因表达量的关系.通过标准发芽试验和逆境(冷浸、人工老化、干旱胁迫)发芽试验,测定4个小麦品种种子活力、萌发过程中可溶性总糖和可溶性蛋白含量、α-淀粉酶活性、半胱氨酸蛋白酶活性及相关基因表达量.结果表明:干旱、人工老化和冷浸胁迫3种逆境对种子活力都有一定影响.不同萌发条件下,可溶性总糖含量呈现先小幅度升高后小幅度降低再迅速升高的趋势;而可溶性蛋白含量随着萌发时间的延长呈现逐渐下降的趋势.α-淀粉酶活性整体呈现逐渐升高的趋势,但在冷浸胁迫处理后,豫农949和轮选061的α-淀粉酶活性在萌发60 h后出现下降.半胱氨酸蛋白酶活性整体呈先降低后升高的趋势,但在干旱胁迫条件下,豫农949、豫麦49-198和轮选061的半胱氨酸蛋白酶活性呈现先升高后降低再升高的趋势.不同逆境萌发条件下,α-AMY(α-淀粉酶基因)表达量整体呈先上升后下降的趋势.冷浸胁迫处理后,轮选061的α-AMY表达量高于对照,在其他逆境萌发条件下,4个品种的α-AMY表达量均低于对照;人工老化处理后,长4738的CP(半胱氨酸蛋白酶基因)表达量与对照差异不显著,在其他逆境萌发条件下,4个品种的CP表达量均高于对照.种子萌发期间,不同萌发条件下α-淀粉酶和半胱氨酸蛋白酶活性与其基因表达并没有直接关系,α-淀粉酶活性与可溶性总糖含量达到显著正相关,半胱氨酸蛋白酶活性与可溶性蛋白含量的相关性不显著.在标准发芽条件下,α-淀粉酶活性与活力指数呈显著正相关,而在逆境萌发过程中,其相关性不显著.冷浸胁迫处理后,半胱氨酸蛋白酶活性与活力指数呈显著正相关,但在标准发芽、干旱胁迫、人工老化处理后,其相关性不显著.     

碱蓬果皮浸提液对小麦种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响(简报)

盐生植物碱蓬果皮的去离子水浸提液明显抑制小麦种子萌发和幼苗生长以及萌发过程中的α-淀粉酶活性。     

蔷薇种子的休眠及解除方法

分析了蔷薇(Rosa L.)种子休眠原因、解除休眠方法以及环境条件对休眠与萌发的影响.蔷薇种子休眠的主要原因有瘦果果皮和种皮的限制作用,胚生理休眠以及果肉、瘦果果皮、种皮和胚中的抑制物质.解除休眠的方法包括去除瘦果果皮限制、解除胚的生理休眠、去除抑制物质等.种子发育过程中及成熟后,环境因子,如温度、水分和光照,对种子休眠和萌发有影响.此外,微生物、果实采集时间也对种子休眠及萌发有较大影响.蔷薇种子的休眠机制复杂,且种间差异很大.     

西瓜种子内源β-半乳甘露聚糖酶活性与分布以及与萌发速度的关系

利用单粒种子凝胶扩散法研究了β-半乳甘露聚糖酶在西瓜种子萌发过程中的分布以及与西瓜种子萌发速率的关系。结果发现,在胚根尖突破种皮前吸胀的西瓜种子中,内源β-半乳甘露聚糖酶主要分布于种子的胚膜套中,并起到减弱外种皮和胚膜套细胞壁对胚根伸出的机械阻力的作用。对具有不同萌发速率的品种以及引发处理和未处理的西瓜种子中酶活性的检测证明,β-半乳甘露聚糖酶活性与西瓜种子萌发速度相关。固体基质引发三倍体西瓜种子过程中β-半乳甘露聚糖酶的活化和种皮阻力的减弱,是引发种子提高了萌发速度和萌发能力的原因之一。     

三裂叶野葛种子的休眠及萌发（简报）

２０mg.L^-1激动素（ＫＴ）浸种的三裂叶野葛种子萌发效果最佳,萌发率达７５％,用石英砂研靡破种皮后,再以２０mg.L^-1ＫＴ浸种的三裂叶野葛种子的萌发率达到９５％,提早５d萌发。根据种子抑制物实验的结果认为,三裂叶野葛种子的种皮和种仁中可能存在抑制种子萌发的物质。     

山茱萸种子的休眠原因与萌发条件

山茱萸种子的萌发受到种皮抑制物、胚生理后熟程度以及当年低温的阻抑。种子秋播后需经3个月高温(15～22℃)、2个月低温(5～16℃)的湿沙层积,才能完成生理后熟,于次年春天萌发。并研究了种子层积过程中氧的作用、种皮的单宁和ABA含量、胚乳转化、G6PDH(6—磷酸葡萄糖脱氢酶)和 6PGDH(6—磷酸葡萄糖酸脱氢酶)与萌发的关系。     

Seed Dormancy,Seedling Establishment and Dynamics of the Soil Seed Bank of Stipa bungeana (Poaceae) on the Loess Plateau of Northwestern China

Studying seed dormancy and its consequent effect can provide important information for vegetation restoration and management. The present study investigated seed dormancy, seedling emergence and seed survival in the soil seed bank of Stipa bungeana, a grass species used in restoration of degraded land on the Loess Plateau in northwest China. Dormancy of fresh seeds was determined by incubation of seeds over a range of temperatures in both light and dark. Seed germination was evaluated after mechanical removal of palea and lemma (hulls), chemical scarification and dry storage. Fresh and one-year-stored seeds were sown in the field, and seedling emergence was monitored weekly for 8 weeks. Furthermore, seeds were buried at different soil depths, and then retrieved every 1 or 2 months to determine seed dormancy and seed viability in the laboratory. Fresh seeds (caryopses enclosed by palea and lemma) had non-deep physiological dormancy. Removal of palea and lemma, chemical scarification, dry storage (afterripening), gibberellin (GA₃) and potassium nitrate (KNO₃) significantly improved germination. Dormancy was completely released by removal of the hulls, but seeds on which hulls were put back to their original position germinated to only 46%. Pretreatment of seeds with a 30% NaOH solution for 60 min increased germination from 25% to 82%. Speed of seedling emergence from fresh seeds was significantly lower than that of seeds stored for 1 year. However, final percentage of seedling emergence did not differ significantly for seeds sown at depths of 0 and 1 cm. Most fresh seeds of S. bungeana buried in the field in early July either had germinated or lost viability by September. All seeds buried at a depth of 5 cm had lost viability after 5 months, whereas 12% and 4% seeds of those sown on the soil surface were viable after 5 and 12 months, respectively.     

A mechanism for promoting the germination of Zinnia elegans seeds by hydrogen peroxide

H(2)O(2) promotes seed germination of cereal plants such as barley, wheat and rice, and several mechanisms have been proposed for its action [Naredo et al. (1998) Seed Sci. Technol. 26: 675-689]. We investigated the role of H(2)O(2) in the germination of Zinnia elegans seeds. H(2)O(2) promoted seed germination in a dose-dependent manner as did respiratory inhibitors, indicating that H(2)O(2) itself possibly promotes seed germination rather than O(2). Seed germination was promoted by removal of pericarp from seeds or by removal of ethanol-soluble compounds from the seeds with pericarp. The ethanol-soluble compounds suppressed the germination of seeds having no pericarp, and this effect was reversed by H(2)O(2). These findings indicate that oxidation of the germination inhibitor(s) present in the pericarp by H(2)O(2) promotes seed germination. Antioxidants which are derivatives of well-known germination inhibitors suppressed seed germination in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that, to initiate seed germination, a germination inhibitor(s) should be decomposed by an oxidant such as H(2)O(2).     

Defensin promoters as potential tools for engineering disease resistance in cereal grains

Engineering of plant protection in cereals requires well characterized tissue-specific and wounding/pathogen-inducible promoters for targeted expression of pathogen responsive and resistance genes. We describe the isolation of seven wheat and rice defensin genes expressed in early developing grain and during grain germination, two developmental stages that are particularly vulnerable to pathogens and insects. Comparison of three-dimensional (3D) models of these rice and wheat PRPI defensins indicated variations in spatial architectures that could reflect their functional diversities. Wheat and rice were stably transformed with promoter–GUS fusion constructs and the spatial and temporal activities of four promoters were studied using whole-mount and histological assays. PRPI promoters were active before and at anthesis in both transgenic wheat and rice with activity mainly in the ovary. In rice, GUS activity was also observed in vascular tissue of the lemma, palea and anthers. After fertilization, GUS was strongly expressed in the outer cell layers of the pericarp and in the main vascular bundle of the grain. During, and a short time after, seed germination, wheat promoters were active in transgenic rice embryos, roots and/or coleoptiles. All wheat and rice promoters were strongly induced by wounding in leaf, stem and grain of transgenic rice plants. These results suggest that PRPI promoters will be useful for specific targeting and accumulation of proteins conferring resistance to pathogens in vulnerable tissues of developing and germinating grain.     

Seed dormancy and longevity in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stipa tenacissima</Emphasis> L. (Poaceae)

In the present paper we studied the life history traits related to seed germination of Stipa tenacissima, a key species in semiarid environments of western Mediterranean areas. S. tenacissima is a perennial tussock grass, which has traditionally been considered to expand mainly by vegetative propagation with little or no sexual reproduction. We analysed seed longevity as well as the type of seed dormancy and the role of the seed covers from seeds collected from different populations in SE Spain. We also studied the variation in seed germinability among populations, individuals, and years and the ability of seeds of S. tenacissima to form soil seed banks. There was significant variation in seed germination among individuals, populations and years. Lemma and palea were the main factor controlling these differences since their removal promoted higher and faster germination and eliminated the differences in germination parameters among populations. However, the control of dormancy by lemma and palea was independent of their weight, suggesting that their chemical nature plays a more important role than does size in controlling seed germination. Mechanical scarification treatments (via abrasion with sand) did not affect seed germination. The decay in seed germinability two years after seed collection and the low density of viable seeds in soils one year after seed dispersal indicated that S. tenacissima forms transient soil seed banks.     

Mechanisms Involved in Delayed Germination of Quercus nigra L. Seeds

Neither the pericarp nor the seed coat impose significant barriersto passage of water in Quercus nigra seeds. The pericarp eventuallybecomes limiting to continued swelling due to its mechanicalstrength. During stratification trapped gasses escape and continuedswelling of the cotyledons causes expansion of the pericarp.Vigorous acorns need around 105 days of combined stratificationand germination time to reach maximum germination. This additivityphenomenon is true for stratification times between 4 and 10weeks. Delayed germination is caused by at least three factors:(1) Mechanical strength of the pericarp, which was constantduring the observation period of 13 weeks; (2) Chemical inhibitionby the pericarp, which was alleviated by stratification forapproximately 4 weeks; (3) Slowly increasing capacity to imbibewater required for pericarp rupture. This component was apparentlynot dependent on temperature within the range of 5 to 30 °C,and operates during the entire stratification and germinationperiod. Quercus nigra L, water oak, seed germination, pericarp, stratification, dormancy     

Cytological Study of Wheat Spike Infection by Bipolaris sorokiniana

The infection of wheat spikelets by Bipolaris sorokiniana , the causal agent of black point on grains and grain shrivelling, was examined by light and electron microscopy. Conidia of the pathogen germinated 6–12 h after inoculation on the surfaces of the different spike tissues. Extracellular sheaths were observed on germ tubes and appressoria attached to the surfaces of lemma, palea and seeds, but were only scarcely detected on the surface of conidia. Appressoria, frequently found over grooves, formed penetration hyphae invading the epidermal cell walls. Infection process was similar on the surface of the lemma, palea and glume. Growth of the fungus in the epidermal and parenchyma cells was found predominantly in the cell walls, and hyphae also extended intercellularly and intracellularly. Infection of seeds appeared to occur via two ways: (i) direct infection of the outer layers of the cell walls of the pericarp and (ii) through entering the stigma into the pericarp cells. Secretion of host cell wall hydrolytic enzymes at the apex of the penetrating hyphae may facilitate the spread of the fungus. In addition, toxins secreted by the fungus might explain the rapid death of host cells in contact with or distant to fungal cells. A host response to fungal infection involved the development of appositions between cell wall and plasma membrane in cells adjacent to fungal cells. Fungal hyphae were sometimes also surrounded by electron dense material.     

Hydrogen peroxide scavenging regulates germination ability during wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seed maturation

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) promotes seed germination of cereal plants and ascorbic acid which acts as antioxidant suppresses the germination of wheat seeds, but the role of H₂O₂ scavenging on germination during seed maturation has not been demonstrated. We investigated relationship of germination, ascorbate, H₂O₂ scavenging enzymes and sensitivity to ascorbic acid (AsA) maturing seeds of two typical wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, cvs. Shirogane-Komugi and Norin61. Shirogane-Komugi had marked high germination ability than Norin61 during seed maturation. Although the H₂O₂ content had no difference in the two culti-vars, sensitivity to AsA of Norin61 seeds was higher than that of Shirogane-Komugi seeds during seed maturation. The sensitivity to AsA closely correlated with germination characteristic in the two cultivars. Especially, at 28 days after pollination (DAP), sensitivity to AsA in Norin61 seeds was remarkably high. At that stage, no significant differences were observed in endogenous AsA level, ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11) and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR, EC 1.8.5.1) activities in the two cultivars. However, catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6) activity and CAT mRNA in Norin61 were remarkably higher than in Shirogane-Komugi. Sensitivity to AsA at 35 and 42 DAPs kept high levels in Norin61, and endogenous AsA and CAT activity in the seeds were significantly higher than in Shirogane-Komugi. These results revealed a direct correlation between germination and antioxidant sensitivity during the developmental stages of wheat seeds.Key words: ascorbic acid, germination, hydorogen peroxide, maturation, wheat seed