Summary
The germination of lettuce seeds is inhibited by the nucleotide base analogue 6-methylpurine. RNA synthesis has been measured during imbibition and germination as 32P-phosphate incorporation into RNA species as fractionated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Seeds were surface sterilized and imbibed in the presence of various antibiotics. RNA preparations from lettuce seeds were coelectrophoresed with 3H-RNA prepared from bacteria to check for bacterial contamination of the seeds. There is a much higher rate of RNA synthesis in illuminated, germinating seeds as compared to dark, non-germinating seeds. This difference does not develop until after 12 hours of imbibition at 27°, which is the time of onset of germination and radicle growth.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bishop, D. H. L., Claybrook, V. R., Spiegelman, S.: Electrophoretic separation of viral nucleic acids on polyacrylamide gels. J. molec. Biol. 26, 373–387 (1967).
Black, M., Richardson, M.: Germination of lettuce induced by inhibitors of protein synthesis. Planta (Berl.) 73, 344–356 (1967).
Borthwick, H. A., Hendricks, S. B., Parker, M., Toole, E. H., Toole, V. H.: Areversible photoreaction controlling seed germination. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 38, 662–666 (1952).
Cherry, J. H.: Nucleic acid changes in the storage tissue of seeds during germination. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 68, 193–198 (1963).
— Chroboczek, H., Carpenter, W. V. G., Richmond, A.: Nucleic acid metabolism in peanut cotyledons. Plant Physiol. 40, 582–587 (1965).
Dittes, H., Mohr, H.: MAK-chromatography of RNA in connection with phytochrome-mediated morphogenesis. Z. Naturforsch. 25b, 708–710 (1970).
Hendricks, S. B., Borthwick, H. A.: The function of phytochrome in the regulation of plant growth. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 58, 2125–2130 (1967).
Ingle, J., Hageman, R. H.: Metabolic changes associated with the germination of corn. II. Nucleic acid metabolism. Plant Physiol. 40, 48–53 (1965).
Jarvis, B. C., Frankland, B., Cherry, J. H.: Increased nucleic acid synthesis in relation to the breaking of dormancy of hazel seed by gibberellic acid. Planta (Berl.) 83, 257–266 (1968).
Khan, A. A.: Inhibition of lettuce seed germination and seedling growth by antimetabolites of nucleic acids, and reversal by nucleic acid precursors and gibberellic acid. Planta (Berl.) 68, 83–87 (1966).
Loening, U.: The fractionation of high molecular weight ribonucleic acid by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Biochem. J. 102, 251–257 (1967).
Lonberg-Holm, K. K.: Nucleic acid synthesis in seedlings. Nature (Lond.) 213, 454–457 (1967).
Marcus, A., Feeley, J.: Activation of protein synthesis in the imbibition phase of seed germination. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 51, 1075–1079 (1964).
— Ribosome activation and polysome formation in vitro: requirement for ATP. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 56, 1770. (1966).
Mohr, A., Appuhn, U.: Die Keimung von Lactuca-Achänen unter dem Einfluß des Phytochrom-Systems unter der Hochenergiereaktion der Photomorphogenese. Planta (Berl.) 60, 274–288 (1963).
Mohr, H.: Differential gene activation as a mode of action of phytochrome 730. Photochem. Photobiol. 5, 469–483 (1966).
Sasaki, S., Brown, G. N.: Changes in nucleic acid fractions of seed components of red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait) during germination. Plant Physiol. 44, 1729–1733 (1969).
Smith, H., Frankland, B.: Specific inhibition by uracil derivatives of the mechanism of dormancy release in light-sensitive lettuce seeds. Nature (Lond.) 211, 1323–1324 (1966).
Sobota, A. E., Leaver, C. J., Key, J. L.: A detailed evaluation of the possible contribution of bacteria to radioactive precursor incorporation into nucleic acids of plant tissues. Plant Physiol. 43, 907–913 (1968).
Villiers, T. A.: An autoradiographic study of the effect of the plant hormone abscisic acid on nucleic acid and protein metabolism. Planta (Berl.) 82, 342–354 (1968).
Waters, L. C., Dure, L. S. III: Ribonucleic acid synthesis in germinating cotton seeds. J. molec. Biol. 19, 1–27 (1966).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This investigation was supported by a contract from the United States Department of Agriculture (No. 616-15-3). Journal paper of the Purdue Agriculture Experiment Station.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Frankland, B., Jarvis, B.C. & Cherry, J.H. RNA synthesis and the germination of light-sensitive lettuce seeds. Planta 97, 39–49 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00388404
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00388404