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Proanthocyanidins accelerate the germination of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seeds

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Abstract

Proanthocyanidins (PAs) are the end products of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in many seeds, but their biological function is rarely unknown during seed germination. In the present study, we observed that PAs pretreatment accelerated cucumber seeds germination with maximum efficiency at 0.15% by measuring germination percentage and radical length. Using inhibitors of abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellins (GA) and alternative oxidase (AOX) and H2O2 scavenger pretreatment and gene expression analysis, we found that the accelerated effect of 0.15% PAs on seed germination was due to the decreased ABA biogenesis and enhanced GA production. ROS are induced by PAs pretreatment. Then, the enhanced ROS contributed to GA and ethylene accumulation and ABA decrease in seeds. Moreover, the improvement of GA was involved in the further induction of antioxidant enzymes activities. Therefore, our findings uncover a novel role of PAs in seed germination and clarify the relationships between ROS, ABA, GA and ethylene during seed germination.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment, College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, China

    Li-jun Zhu, Xing-guang Deng, Li-juan Zou, Jun-qiang Wu, Da-wei Zhang & Hong-hui Lin

  2. Ecological Security and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, MianYang Teachers’ College, Mianyang, Sichuan, 621006, China

    Li-jun Zhu & Li-juan Zou

Authors
  1. Li-jun Zhu
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  2. Xing-guang Deng
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  3. Li-juan Zou
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  4. Jun-qiang Wu
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  5. Da-wei Zhang
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  6. Hong-hui Lin
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Correspondence to Da-wei Zhang or Hong-hui Lin.

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Zhu, Lj., Deng, Xg., Zou, Lj. et al. Proanthocyanidins accelerate the germination of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seeds. J. Plant Biol. 59, 143–151 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12374-016-0510-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12374-016-0510-9

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