Abstract
Seed development was investigated in kernels of developing wild-type and viviparous (vp-1) Zea mays L. Embryos and endosperm of wild-type kernels began to dehydrate at approx. 35 d after pollination (DAP); viviparous embryos did not desiccate but accumulated fresh weight via coleoptile growth in the caryopses. Concentrations of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) in the embryo were relatively high early in development, being approx. 150 ng·g-1 fresh weight at 20 DAP. The ABA content declined thereafter, falling to approx. 50 ng·g-1 at 30 DAP. Endosperm ABA content was always low, being less than 20 ng·g-1. There were no differences between wild-type and vp-1 tissues. Immature kernels did not germinate when removed from the ear until late in development. The ability to germinate was correlated with decreasing moisture content in the endosperm at the time of removal; premature drying of immature kernels resulted in greatly increased germination following imbibition. Excised embryos germinated precociously when removed from the endosperm as early as 25 DAP. Such germination could be prevented by treatment with 10-5 M ABA or by lowering the solute potential (Ψs) of the medium with 0.3 M mannitol. Treatment of excised embryos with ABA led to internal ABA concentrations comparable to those in embryos in which germination was inhibited in situ. Mannitol treatment did not have this effect, although water-deficit stress of excised embryos resulted in substantial ABA production. Germinated vp-1 embryos were less sensitive to growth inhibition by ABA or mannitol than germinating wild-type embryos. The vp-1 seedlings were not wilty and their transpiration rates were reduced in response to ABA or water shortage.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- ABA:
-
abscisic acid
- DAP:
-
days after pollination
- FW:
-
fresh weight
- vp-1 :
-
viviparous genotype
- Ψs :
-
solute potential
References
Ackerson, R.C. (1984a) Regulation of soybean embryogenesis by abscisic acid. J. Exp. Bot. 35, 403–413
Ackerson, R.C. (1984b) Abscisic acid and precocious germination in soybeans. J. Exp. Bot. 35, 414–421
Armstrong, C., Black, M., Chapman, J.M., Norman, H.A., Angold, A. (1982) The induction of sensitivity to gibberellin in aleurone tissue of developing wheat grains. I. The effect of dehydration. Planta 154, 573–577
Bray, E.A., Beachy, R.N. (1985) Regulation by ABA of β-conglycinin expression in cultured developing soybean cotyledons. Plant Physiol. 79, 746–750
Crouch, M.L., Tenbarge, K., Simon, A., Finkelstein, R., Scofield, S., Solberg, L. (1985) Storage protein mRNA levels can be regulated by abscisic acid in Brassica embryos. In: Molecular form and function of the plant genome, pp. 555–566, Vloten-Doting, L.V., Groot, S.P.G., Hall, T.C., eds. Plenum Publishing Corporation, New York London
Dasgupta, J., Bewley, J.D. (1982) Desiccation of axes of Phaseolus vulgaris during development causes a switch from a development pattern of protein synthesis to a germination pattern. Plant Physiol. 70, 1224–1227
Dooner, H.K. (1985) Viviparous-1 mutation in maize conditions pleiotropic enzyme deficiencies in the aleurone. Plant Physiol. 77, 486–488
Dure, L., III (1985) Embryogenesis and gene expression during seed formation. In: Oxford surveys of plant molecular and cell biology, vol. 2, pp. 179–197, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK
Eisenberg, A.J., Mascarenhas, J.P. (1985) Abscisic acid and the regulation of synthesis of specific seed proteins and their messenger RNAs during culture of soybean embryos. Planta 166, 505–514
Evans, M., Black, M., Chapman, J. (1975) Induction of hormone sensitivity by dehydration is one positive role for drying in cereal seed. Nature 258, 244–245
Eyster, W.H. (1931) Vivipary in maize. Genetics 16, 574–590
Fong, F., Smith, J.D., Koehler, D.E. (1983) Early events in maize seed development. 1-methyl-3-phenyl-5-(3-[trifluoromethyl]phenyl)-4-(1H)-pyridinone induction of vivipary. Plant Physiol. 73, 899–901
Kermode, A.R., Bewley, J.D. (1985a) The role of maturation drying in the transition from seed development to germination. I. Acquisition of desiccation-tolerance and germinability during development of Ricinus communis L. seeds. J. Exp. Bot. 173, 1906–1915
Kermode, A.R., Bewley, J.D. (1985b) The role of maturation drying in the transition from seed development to germination. II. Post-germinative enzyme production and soluble synthetic protein changes within the endosperm of Ricinus communis L. seeds. J. Exp. Bot. 173, 1916–1927
Kermode, A.R., Gifford, S.J., Bewley, J.D. (1985c) The role of maturation drying in the transition from seed development to germination. III. Insoluble protein synthetic patterns within the endosperm of Ricinus communis L. seeds. J. Exp. Bot. 173, 1928–1936
King, R.W. (1982) Abscisic acid and seed development. In: The physiology and biochemistry of seed development, dormancy and germination, pp. 157–181, Khan, A.A., ed. Elsevier/Biomedical Press, Amsterdam, New York
Long, S.R., Dale, R.K.M., Sussex, I.M. (1981) Maturation and germination of Phaseolus vulgaris embryonic axes in culture. Planta 153, 405–415
McDaniel, S., Smith, J.D., Price, J.H. (1977) Response of viviparous mutants to abscisic acid in embryo culture. Maize Genet. Coop. Newslett. 51, 85–86
Misra, S., Bewley, J.D. (1985) Reprogramming of protein synthesis from a developmental to a germinative mode induced by desiccation of the axes of Phaseolus vulgaris. Plant Physiol. 78, 875–882
Neill, S.J., Horgan, R. (1985) Abscisic acid production and water relations in wilty tomato mutants subjected to water deficiency. J. Exp. Bot. 36, 1222–1231
Neill, S.J., Horgan, R., Parry, A.D. (1986) The carotenoid and abscisic acid content of viviparous kernels and seedlings of Zea mays L. Planta 169, 87–96
Obendorf, R.L., Wettlaufer, S.H. (1984) Precocious germination during in vitro growth of soybean seeds. Plant Physiol. 76, 1023–1028
Prevost, I., Le Page-Degivry, M.Th. (1985) Inverse correlation between ABA content and germinability throughout the maturation and the in vitro culture of the embryo of Phaseolus vulgaris. J. Exp. Bot. 36, 1457–1464
Quatrano, R.S., Ballo, B.L., Williamson, J.D., Hamblin, M.T., Mansfield, M. (1983) ABA controlled expression of embryospecific genes during wheat grain development. In: Plant molecular biology, pp. 343–353, Goldberg, R.B., ed. Alan R. Liss, New York
Robertson, D.S. (1951) The genotype of the endosperm and embryo as it influences vivipary in maize. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 38, 580–583
Robertson, D.S. (1955) The genetics of vivipary in maize. Genetics 40, 745–760
Robichaud, C.S., Wong, J., Sussex, I.M. (1980) Control of in vitro growth of viviparous embryo mutants of maize by abscisic acid. Dev. Genet. 1, 325–330
Schopfer, P., Plachy, C. (1985) Control of seed germination by abscisic acid. III. Effect on embryo growth potential (minimal turgor pressure) and growth coefficient (cell wall extensibility) in Brassica napus L. Plant Physiol. 77, 676–686
Sprague, G. (1936) The relation of moisture content and time of harvest to germination of immature corn. J. Am. Soc. Agron. 28, 472–478
Stinissen, H.M., Peumans, W.J., De Langhe, E. (1984) Abscisic acid promotes lectin biosynthesis in developing and germinating rice embryos. Plant Cell Rep. 3, 55–59
Walbot, V. (1978) Control mechanisms for plant embryogeny. In: Dormancy and developmental arrest. Experimental analysis in plants and animals, pp. 113–166, Clutter, M.E., ed. Academic Press, New York
Walton, D.C. (1980) Biochemistry and physiology of abscisic acid. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 31, 453–489
Wilson, G.F., Rhodes, A.M., Dickinson, D.B. (1973) Some physiological effects of viviparous genes vp-1 and vp-5 on developing maize kernels. Plant Physiol. 52, 350–356
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Neill, S.J., Horgan, R. & Rees, A.F. Seed development and vivipary in Zea mays L.. Planta 171, 358–364 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00398681
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00398681