Abstract: | Damage and degradation of cellular proteins is observed duringage-induced seed deterioration. L-Isoaspartyl protein methyltransferase(EC 2.1.1.77
EC]
) is an enzyme hypothesized to play a role in limitingand repairing age-induced damage to proteins. Tomato (Lycopersiconesculentum Mill. New Yorker) seeds were assayedfor changes in L-isoaspartyl methyl-transferase activity duringaccelerated ageing and after osmotic priming. Accelerated ageingof seeds for 14 d at 45C and 100% relative humidityreduced germination from 94% to 71%, increased the mean timeof germination (MTG) from 2.4 to 5.8 d, and was accompaniedby a correlative decrease in L-isoaspartyl methyltransferaseactivity (r2=0.90). Aged and untreated seeds were primed for7 d at 20C in darkness using aerated solutions of 3% KNO3 orpolyethylene glycol 8000 (PEG) with equivalent osmotic potential(1.25 MPa). Priming with KNO3 decreased the MTG, butdid not improve germination percentage for untreated seeds.Priming did not affect L-isoaspartyl methyltransferase activityin untreated seeds, but restored activity in aged seeds primedin KNO3 to levels near that of untreated seeds. Priming withPEG did not effectively improve the MTG or increase L-isoaspartylmethyltransferase activity. During germination, L-isoaspartylmethyltransferase activity remained constant for 48 h post-imbibitionand then declined, suggesting that the enzyme was developmentallyregulated and inactivated or degraded as radicle emergence occurred. Key words: L-Isoaspartyl methyltransferase, protein repair, seed priming, accelerated ageing, Lycopersicon esculentum |