Programmed cell death during development of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) seed coat |
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| Authors: | NATHÁLIA BASTOS LIMA FERNANDA GOMES TRINDADE MAURA DA CUNHA ANTÔNIA ELENIR AMÂNCIO OLIVEIRA JENNIFER TOPPING KEITH LINDSEY KÁTIA VALEVSKI SALES FERNANDES |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Laboratório de Química e Fun??o de Proteínas e Peptídeos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;2. Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;3. The Integrative Cell Biology Laboratory, School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK |
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| Abstract: | The seed coat develops primarily from maternal tissues and comprises multiple cell layers at maturity, providing a metabolically dynamic interface between the developing embryo and the environment during embryogenesis, dormancy and germination of seeds. Seed coat development involves dramatic cellular changes, and the aim of this research was to investigate the role of programmed cell death (PCD) events during the development of seed coats of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]. We demonstrate that cells of the developing cowpea seed coats undergo a programme of autolytic cell death, detected as cellular morphological changes in nuclei, mitochondria, chloroplasts and vacuoles, DNA fragmentation and oligonucleosome accumulation in the cytoplasm, and loss of membrane viability. We show for the first time that classes 6 and 8 caspase‐like enzymes are active during seed coat development, and that these activities may be compartmentalized by translocation between vacuoles and cytoplasm during PCD events. |
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| Keywords: | caspase‐like enzymes cowpea seed development |
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