Abstract
Polyadenylated-RNA (Poly(A)+RNA) levels have been studied during the germination of wheat embryos of high viability but differing vigour. In high-vigour embryos imbibed at 20°C the level of poly(A)+RNA falls dramatically over the first hour of imbibition, then remains constant up to 3 h of imbibition before increasing rapidly to a level similar to that found in the quiescent state by 7 h of imbibition. Median-vigour embryos imbibed at 20°C show similar changes in poly(A)+RNA content but the initial decrease and subsequent increase in poly(A)+RNA levels are less marked. On imbibition at 10°C, the poly(A)+RNA content in high-vigour embryos decreases to a lesser extent during the first hour than at 20°C and the level increases more slowly over the next 6 h than during the same time period at 20°C. The level of poly(A)+RNA in medianvigour embryos remains constant over the first 4 h of germination and then falls to a level of about half that found in quiescent high-vigour embryos. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of total-RNA samples shows that the polyadenylic acid (poly(A)) sequences occur in RNA species ranging in size from 35-7S. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of isolated poly(A) sequences demonstrates the presence of two size classes of poly(A) in quiescent embryos, but at 20°C a more heterodisperse pattern appears by 2 h of imbibition. At 10°C, two size classes of poly(A) persist throughout the period studied in both high- and median-vigour embryos, although in median-vigour embryos the ratio of larger: smaller poly(A)-tail sizes decreases more rapidly than in high-vigour embryos.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- Poly(A):
-
polyadenylic acid
- poly(U):
-
polyuridylic acid
- poly(A)+RNA:
-
polyadenylated RNA
References
Blowers, L.E., Stormonth, D.A., Bray, C.M. (1980) Nucleic acid and protein synthesis and loss of vigour in germinating wheat embryos. Planta 150, 19–25
Brawerman, G. (1974) The isolation of messenger RNA from mammalian cells. Methods Enzymol. 30, 605–612
Brawerman, G. (1981) The role of the poly A sequence in mammalian messenger RNA. Crit. Rev. Biochem. 10, 1–38
Bray, C.M. (1979) Nucleic acid and protein synthesis in the embryo of germinating Cereals. In: Recent advances in the biochemistry of cereals, pp. 147–173, Laidman, D.L., Wyn-Jones, R.G., eds. Academic Press, New York
Brocklehurst, P.A., Dearman, J. (1980) The germination of carrot (Daucus carota L) seed harvested on two dates: a physiological and biochemical study. J. Exp. Bot. 31, 1719–1725
Delseny, M., Aspart, L., Guitton, Y. (1977) Disappearance of stored polyadenylic acid and mRNA during early germination of radish embryo axes. Planta 235, 125–128
Gordon, M.E., Payne, P.I. (1976) In vitro translation of the long-lived messenger ribonucleic acid of dry seeds. Planta 130, 269–273
Grilli, I., Anguillesi, M.C., Floris, C., Lorenzini, N., Meletti, P. (1980) Effects of GA3 treatment on the synthesis of poly(A)-rich RNA in wheat dormant embryos. Biochem. Physiol. Pflanz. 175, 587–598
Hampton, J.G. (1981) The relationship between field emergence laboratory germination and vigour testing of New Zealand seed wheat lines. N. Z. J. Exp. Agric. 9, 191–197
Johnston, F.B., Stern, H. (1957) Mass isolation of viable wheat embryos. Nature (London) 179, 160–161
Loening, U.E. (1969) The determination of the molecular weight of ribonucleic acid by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The effects of change in conformation. Biochem. J. 113, 131–138
Payne, P.I. (1977) Synthesis of poly A-rich RNA in embryos of rye during imbibition and early germination. Phytochemistry 16, 431–434
Peumans, W.J., Carlier, A.R. (1981) Loss of protein synthesis activity in ageing wheat grains: lesions in the initiation process and mRNA degradation. Biochem. Physiol. Pflanz. 176, 384–395
Rosbash, M., Ford, D.J. (1974) Polyadenylic acid containing RNA in Xenopus laevia oocytes. J. Mol. Biol. 85, 87–101
Sajdel-Sulkowska, F., Kumar, A. (1980) Metabolism of poly(A) sequences during 3T3 cell growth regulation. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 610, 147–157
Sen, S., Osborne, D.J. (1977) Decline in ribonucleic acid and protein synthesis with loss of viability during the early hours of imbibition of rye embryos. Biochem. J. 166, 33–38
Spiegel, S., Obendorf, R.L., Marcus, A. (1975) Transcription of ribosomal and messenger RNAs in early wheat embryo germination. Plant Physiol. 56, 502–507
Stormonth, D.A. (1978) Cereal seed vigour. In: Developments in the business and practice of cereal seed trading and technology, pp. 49–76, Hayward, P.R., ed. The Gavin Press, London
Van de Walle, C. (1973) Polyadenylic sequences in plant RNA. FEBS Lett. 34, 31–35
Weir, E.M., Reizman, H., Grienberger, J.-M., Becker, W.M., Leaver, C.J. (1980) Regulation of glyoxysomal enzymes during germination of cucumber. Eur. J. Biochem. 112, 469–477
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dale Smith, C.A., Bray, C.M. Intracellular levels of polyadenylated RNA and loss of vigour in germinating wheat embryos. Planta 156, 413–420 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00393312
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00393312