Storage compounds, ABA and fumarase in Fagus sylvatica embryos during stratification

0451234 - ÚEB 2016 RIV PL eng J - Journal Article
Eliášová, Kateřina - Pešek, Bedřich - Vondráková, Zuzana
Storage compounds, ABA and fumarase in Fagus sylvatica embryos during stratification.
Dendrobiology. Roč. 74, 10 March (2015), s. 25-33. ISSN 1641-1307. E-ISSN 2083-8387
R&D Projects: GA MZe QI102A256
Institutional support: RVO:61389030
Keywords : Embryonic axis * Fagus sylvatica * Seed dormancy
Subject RIV: EF - Botanics
Impact factor: 0.643, year: 2015

Understanding the mechanisms of seed dormancy is essential for planning optimal seed storage and for breaking the dormancy of stored seeds. Our experiments focused on three aspects of characterization of breaking the dormancy of Fagus sylvatica seeds during moist low temperature stratification. 1) We used the changes of ABA content in embryos during the whole process of stratification as the marker of the depth of dormancy: the decrease in the depth of dormancy (according standard germination tests) was directly proportional to the drop in endogenous ABA content in both cotyledons and embryonic axes. 2) Fumarase activity (the second marker of dormancy) increased gradually during stratification. 3) The histochemical visualisation of storage compounds as the third marker of dormancy documented the changes in storage protein deposition during stratification. The proteinaceous content of storage vacuoles disappeared; the vacuoles diminished, petered out or fused, creating central vacuoles. This process commenced with imbibition of the seeds and it was more pronounced in the cells in the external parts of the cotyledons. No changes in the size and location of starch grains or calcium oxalate crystals linked with stratification were detected.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0252395