Early Development of the Seed Coat of Soybean (Glycine max)

Although the development of the soybean ovule has been fairlywell studied, knowledge of the sequence of events in the seedcoat during the first 3 weeks after flowering is incomplete.The goal of the present study was to document, using light microscopy,the early development of the soybean seed coat with respectto changes in structure and histochemistry. At anthesis, theseed coat consists of an outer layer of cuboidal epidermal cellssurrounding several layers of undifferentiated parenchyma (whichtogether constitute the outer integument), and an inner layerof cuboidal endothelial cells (the inner integument). At 3 dpost anthesis (dpa), the inner integument has expanded to includethree to five layers of relatively large cells with thick, heavily-stainingcell walls immediately adjacent to the endothelium. By 18 dpa,the outer integument has developed into a complex of tissuescomprised of an inner layer of thick-walled parenchyma, an outerlayer of thin-walled parenchyma containing vascular tissue whichhas grown down from the lateral vascular bundles in the hilumregion, a hypodermis of hourglass cells, and palisade layer(epidermis). The thick-walled parenchyma of the inner integumenthas become completely stretched and compressed, leaving a single,deeply staining wall layer directly above the endothelium. At21 dpa, the outermost cells of the endosperm have begun to compressthe endothelium. At 45 dpa (physiological maturity) the seedcoat retains only the palisade layer, hourglass cells, and afew layers of thin-walled parenchyma. The innermost layer ofthe endosperm, the aleurone layer, adheres to the inside ofthe seed coat. This knowledge will be invaluable in future studiesof manipulation of gene expression in the seed coat to modifyseed or seed coat characteristics. Copyright 1999 Annals ofBotany Company Soybean, Glycine max, seed coat, development, aleurone.