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Assessment of the Germination Potential of Brassica oleracea Seeds Treated with Karrikin 1 and Cyanide, Which Modify the Ethylene Biosynthetic Pathway

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Abstract

The relationship between ethylene and cyanide (HCN) and karrikin 1 (KAR1) in dormancy release was studied in secondary dormant Brassica oleracea L. (Chinese cabbage) seeds. Freshly harvested seeds of Brassica oleracea usually have poor germination potential. Karrikin1 (KAR1) and cyanide (HCN) are able to stimulate seed germination. However, the stimulatory effects of these two chemicals depend on the activation of the ethylene biosynthesis pathway and on ethylene perception. In this study, KAR1 and HCN application increased the activity of ethylene and of two ethylene biosynthesis enzymes, ACC synthase (ACS) and ACC oxidase (ACO). KAR1 and HCN collectively promoted the accumulation of 1 aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC). In the presence of NO (nitric oxide) and KAR1, ACS and ACO activities reached their maximum levels after 36 and 42 h, respectively. Ethylene inhibitors suppressed seed germination by approximately 55%, whereas the respiratory inhibitors SHAM and NaN3 inhibited seed germination by 5–10% in the presence of HCN and KAR1. KAR1 and HCN collectively reduced the abscisic acid (ABA) content in seeds, increased the gibberellic acid (GA) content and released seed dormancy. The expression of ethylene biosynthesis genes and ethylene receptor genes (BOACO1, BOACS1, BOACS3, BOACS4, BOACS5, BOACS7, BOACS9, BOACS11, BOETR1 and BOETR2) provided further evidence of the involvement of ethylene in KAR1 and HCN-induced germination. BOACO1, BOACS1, BOACS5, BOACS7, BOACS9, BOACS11, BOETR1 and BOETR2 genes were up regulated in the presence of KAR1 and HCN, while the remaining genes were down regulated. The expression of various ethylene biosynthesis and ethylene receptor genes suggested functional diversification and variations in seed sensitivity in the presence of KAR1 and HCN. Therefore, in the current study, KAR1 and HCN application effectively induced the germination of B. oleracea seeds (approximately 97% germination rate) after 6 days by modifying the ethylene biosynthetic pathway.

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Acknowledgments

The research was financially supported by the 13th Five-Year Plan for Rapeseed-Cotton Industry System of Anhui Province in China (AHCYJSTX-04) and the National Key Research & Development Program (2018YFD0100600).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China

    Abdul Sami, Xiang Yu Zhou, Zong He Zhu & Kejin Zhou

  2. Department of Forestry and Range Management, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan

    Muhammad Ayyoub Tanvir

  3. The National Engineering Labortarty of Crop Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China

    Shamsur Rehman

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  1. Abdul Sami
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  4. Xiang Yu Zhou
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AS designed and performed the experiment. SR, AT and ZXY analyzed the data. ZZH and ZKJ provided the guidance during all experiments. All authors have read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kejin Zhou.

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Sami, A., Rehman, S., Tanvir, M.A. et al. Assessment of the Germination Potential of Brassica oleracea Seeds Treated with Karrikin 1 and Cyanide, Which Modify the Ethylene Biosynthetic Pathway. J Plant Growth Regul 40, 1257–1269 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-020-10186-1

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