Abstract
Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) embryos excised from bolls 38–43 d after anthesis and cultured in vitro for 4 d on a nutrient agar medium containing 3.8 μM abscisic acid (ABA) developed enzyme activity and accumulated insoluble protein, neutral lipid, and dry weight similar to embryos maturing on the plant. Inclusion of ABA in the medium prevented precosious germination and allowed continued increases in catalase, malate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, aspartate aminotransferase, and β-oxidation enzyme activities as well as de-novo synthesis of malate synthase. Isocitrate lyase activity was not detectable in ABA-cultured embryos nor normally-developed embryos. Omission of sucrose from the medium resulted in near-doubling of the development of malate synthase activity, with minimal effects on the other enzyme activities. Addition of Actinomycin D, cordycepin, or cycloheximide to ABA-containing cultures did not overcome the observed inhibition of germination, but severely reduced both the appearance of new malate synthase activity and further production of other related enzyme activities. Thus, development of these enzyme activities in the presence of ABA appears dependent on transcription and translation, while inhibition of germination by ABA at this stage of development is not sensitive to the RNA- and protein-synthesis inhibitors. The results indicate that ABA does not prevent vivipary by suppressing translation of m-RNAs coding for isocitrate lyase and its companion enzymes, as previously proposed.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- ABA:
-
abscisic acid
- GA3 :
-
gibberellic acid
References
Beasley, C.A., Ting, I.P. (1973) The effects of plant growth substances on in vitro fiber development from fertilized cotton ovules. Am. J. Bot. 60, 130–139
Beevers, H. (1979) Microbodies in higher plants. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 30, 159–193
Benedict, C.R., Kohel, R.J., Schubert, A.M. (1976) Transport of 14C-assimilates to cottonseed: integrity of funiculus during seed filling stage. Crop Sci. 16, 23–27
Bortman, S.J., Trelease, R.N., Miernyk, J.A. (1981) Enzyme development and glyoxysome characterization in cotyledons of cotton seeds. Plant Physiol. 67(6) (in press)
Choinski, J.S., Jr., Trelease, R.N. (1978) Control of enzyme activities in cotton cotyledons during maturation and germination. II. Glyoxysomal enzyme development in embryos. Plant Physiol. 62, 141–145
Davis, L.A., Addicott, F.T. (1972) Abscisic acid: correlation with abscission and with development in the cotton fruit. Plant Physiol. 49, 644–648
Davison, R.M., Rudnicki, R.M., Bukovac, M.J. (1976) Endogenous plant growth substances in developing fruit of Prunus cerasus L. Changes in inhibitor (ABA) levels in the seed and pericarp. J. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci. 101, 519–523
Dure, L.S., III. (1975) Seed formation. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 26, 259–278
Dure, L.S., III. (1979) Role of stored messenger RNA in late embryo development and germination In: The plant seed, pp. 113–127. Rubenstein, I., Phillips, R.L., Green, C.E., Gengenbach, B.G., eds. Academic Press, New York
Dure, L.S., III., Capdevila, A.M., Greenway, S.C. (1980) Messenger RNA domains in the embryogenesis of cotton cotyledons. In: Genome organization and expression in plants, pp. 124–146, Leaver, C.J., ed., Plenum Publishing Corp. New York
Dure, L.S., III., Jensen, W.A. (1957) The influence of gibberellic acid and indoleacetic acid on cotton embryos cultured in vitro. Bot. Gaz. 119, 254–261
Dure, L.S., III, Greenway, S.C., Galau, G.A. (1981) The developmental biochemistry of cottonseed embryogenesis and germination. XIV. Changes in mRNA populations as shown by in vivo and in vitro protein synthesis. Biochemistry (in press)
Frevert, J., Köller, W., Kindl, H. (1980) Occurence and biosynthesis of glyoxysomal enzymes in ripening cucumber seeds. Hoppe-Seyler's Z. Physiol. Chem. 361, 1557–1565
Halloin, J.M. (1976) Inhibition of cottonseed germination with abscisic acid and its reversal. Plant Physiol. 57, 454–455
Ho, D.T.-H., Varner, J.E. (1976) Response of barley aleurone layers to abscisic acid. Plant Physiol. 57, 175–178
Hsu, F.C. (1979) Abscisic acid accumulation in developing seeds of Phaseolus vulgaris L. Plant Physiol. 63, 552–556
Huang, A.H.C., Moreau, R.A. (1978) Lipases in the storage tissues of peanut and other oil seeds during germination. Planta 141, 111–116
Ihle, J.N., Dure, L.S., III (1972) The developmental biochemistry of cottonseed embryogenesis and germination. III. Regulation of the biosynthesis of enzymes utilized in germination. J. Biol. Chem. 247, 5048–5055
Jacobsen, J.V., Higgins, T.J.V., Zwar, J.A. (1979) Hormonal control of endosperm function during germination. In: The plant seed, pp. 241–261, Rubenstein, I., Phillips, R.L., Green, C.E., Gengenbach, B.G., eds. Academic Press, New York
Kindl, H., Köller, W., Frevert, J. (1980a) Cytosolic precursor pools during glyoxysome biosynthesis. Hoppe-Seyler's Z. Physiol. Chem. 361, 465–467
Kindl, H., Schiefer, S., Löffler, H.-G. (1980b) Occurrence and biosynthesis of catalase at different stages of seed maturation. Planta 148, 199–207
King, R.W. (1976) Abscisic acid in developing wheat grains and its relationship to grain growth and maturation. Planta 132, 43–51
Köller, W., Frevert, J., Kindl, H. (1979) Incomplete glyoxysomes appearing at a late stage of maturation of cucumber seeds. Z. Naturforsch. 34c, 1232–1236
Mauney, J.R., Chappell, J., Ward, B.J. (1967) Effects of malic acid salts on growth of young cotton embryos in vitro. Bot. Gaz. 128, 198–200
McWha, J.A. (1975) Changes in abscisic acid levels in developing grains of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) J. Exp. Bot. 26, 823–827
Miernyk, J.A., Trelease, R.N. (1981 a) Control of enzyme activities in cotton cotyledons during maturation and germination. IV. β-Oxidation. Plant Physiol. 67, 341–346
Miernyk, J.A., Trelease, R.N. (1981 b) Role of malate synthase in citric acid synthesis by maturing cotton embryos-A proposal. Plant Physiol. 67 (in press)
Miernyk, J.A., Trelease, R.N., Choinski, J.S., Jr. (1979) Malate synthase activity in cotton and other ungerminated oilseeds. A survey. Plant Physiol. 63, 1068–1071
Mozer, T.J. (1980) Control of protein synthesis in barley aleurone layers by the plant hormones gibberellic acid and abscisic acid. Cell 20, 479–485
Quebedeaux, B., Sweetser, P.B., Rowell, J.C. (1976) Abscisic acid levels in soybean reproductive structure during development. Plant Physiol. 58, 363–366
Radin, J.W., Trelease, R.N. (1976) Control of enzyme activities in cotton cotyledons during maturation and germination. I. Nitrate reductase and isocitrate lyase. Plant Physiol. 57, 902–905
Smith, R.H., Schubert, A.M., Benedict, C.R. (1974) Development of isocitrate lyase activity in germinating cotton seed. Plant Physiol. 54, 197–200
Stewart, J.M., Hsu, C.L. (1977) In-ovulo embryo culture and seedling development of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Planta 137, 113–117
Trelease, R.N., Miernyk, J.A., Choinski, J.S., Jr., Bortman, S.J. (1980) Enzyme synthesis in developing cotton embroys In: Proc. Beltwide Cotton Production Res. Conf., Cotton physiology-a treatise, Sect. II, Boll development, pp. 355–366, Mauney, J.R. ed., National Cotton Council Publ., Memphis, Tennessee
Varner, J.E., Ho, D.T.-H. (1976) The role of hormones in the integration of seedling growth. In: The molecular biology of hormone action, pp. 173–194, Papaconstantinou, J., ed. Academic Press, New York
Walbot, V., Dure, L.S., III (1976) Developmental biochemistry of cotton seed embryogenesis and germination. VII. Characterization of the cotton genome. J. Mol. Biol. 101, 503–536
Walbot, V., Harris, B., Dure, L.S., III (1975) The regulation of enzyme synthesis in the embryogenesis and germination of cotton. In: Developmental biology of reproduction, pp. 165–187, Markert, C., ed. Academic Press, New York
Zimmerman, R., Neupert, W. (1980) Biogenesis of glyoxysomes. Synthesis and intracellular transfer of isocitrate lyase. Eur. J. Biochem. 112, 225–233
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
I.=Radin and Trelease 1976; II.=Choinski and Trelease 1978; IV.=Miernyk and Trelease 1981a
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Choinski, J.S., Trelease, R.N. & Doman, D.C. Control of enzyme activities in cotton cotyledons during maturation and germination. Planta 152, 428–435 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00385359
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00385359