Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Oxygen availability and ABA metabolism in Fagus sylvatica seeds

  • Published:
Plant Growth Regulation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

At harvest, beechnuts have a very deep dormancy whichlies both in the structures surrounding the embryo andwithin the embryo itself. Covering structures preventembryo germination by interfering with water uptakeand gaseous exchange. To understand the role of thecovering structures and oxygen availability on ABAcatabolism, (+)-[3H] ABA metabolism was studied in isolated embryos as well as in intact seeds. ABAdegradation resulted essentially in oxidative products(PA, DPA). These products were more abundant inisolated embryos than in intact seeds. Theyaccumulated mainly as alkali-nonhydrolyzableconjugates of DPA. A small amount of free andesterified forms were oftenobserved. In isolated embryos a decrease in oxidativeproducts was observed either by lowering the oxygenavailability or by feeding embryos with tetcyclasis(an inhibitor of monooxygenase). In the presence of the covering structures, these oxidative products werereduced in the same manner, indicating that coveringstructures were probably responsible for limiting theoxygen supply to the embryo and for the lowgermination percentage observed in the case of intactseeds.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Adkins JW and Ross JD (1983) Adenosine triphosphate and adenylate energy charge in relation to dormancy of wild oat seeds. Canad J Bot 61: 3349-3354

    Google Scholar 

  2. Barthe Ph, Hogge L, Abrams SR and Le Page-Degivry MTh (1993) Metabolism of (+) abscisic acid to dihydrophaseic acid-4'-ß-D-glucopyranoside by sunflower embryos. Phytochem 34: 645-648

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bewley DJ and Black M (1994) Dormancy and the control of germination. In: DJ Bewley and M Black (eds) Seeds: Physiology of Development and Germination, 2nd edn, pp 199-271. New York, NY: Plenum Press, ISBN 0-306-44747-9

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bianco J, Garello G and Le Page-Degivry MTh (1997) De novo ABA synthesis of seed dormancy in a gymnosperm: Pseudotsuga menziesii. Plant Growth Regul 21: 115-119

    Google Scholar 

  5. Creelman RA and Zeevaart JAD (1984) Incorporation of oxygen into abscisic acid and phaseic acid from molecular oxygen. Plant Physiol 75: 166-169

    Google Scholar 

  6. Daeter W and Hartung W (1990) Compartmentation and transport of abscisic acid in mesophyll cells of intact leaves of Valerianella locusta. J Plant Physiol 136: 306-312

    Google Scholar 

  7. Côme D and Thévenot C (1982) Environmental control of embryo dormancy and germination. In AA Khan (ed) The Physiology and Biochemistry of Seed Development, Dormancy and Germination, pp 271-298. Elsevier Biomedical Press.

  8. De Meillon S, Small JGC and Van de Venter HA (1990) The respiratory metabolism of Strelitzia juncea Ait seeds: The effect of dormancy release through oxygen incubation of the seeds on the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. J Exp Bot 41: 709-714

    Google Scholar 

  9. Edelstein M, Corbineau F, Kigel J and Nerson H (1995) Seed coat structure and oxygen availability control low-temperature germination of melon (Cucumis melo) seeds. Physiol Plant 93: 451-456

    Google Scholar 

  10. Edwards MM (1969) Dormancy in seeds of charlock IV. Interrelations of growth, oxygen supply and concentration of inhibitor. J Exp Bot 20: 876-894

    Google Scholar 

  11. Gillard DF and Walton DC (1976) Abscisic acid metabolism by a cell-free preparation from Echinocystis lobata liquid endosperm. Plant Physiol 58: 790-795

    Google Scholar 

  12. Groot SPC, Kieliszewska-Rokicka B, Vermeer E, Karssen CM (1988) Gibberellin-induced hydrolysis of endosperm cell walls in gibberellin-deficient tomato seeds prior to radicle protusion. Planta 174: 500-504

    Google Scholar 

  13. Häuser C, Kwiatrowski J, Rademacher W and Grossmann K (1990) Regulation of endogenous abscisic acid levels and transpiration in oilseed rape by plant growth retardants. J Plant Physiol 137: 201-207

    Google Scholar 

  14. Hellwege EM and Hartung W (1997) Synthesis, metabolism and compartmentation of abscisic acid in Ricia fluitans L. J Plant Physiol 150: 287-291

    Google Scholar 

  15. Kelly KM, Van Staden J and Bell WE (1992) Seed coat structure and dormancy. Plant Growth Regul 11: 201-209

    Google Scholar 

  16. Le Page-Degivry MTh, Garello G and Barthe Ph (1997) Changes in abscisic acid biosynthesis and catabolism during dormancy breaking in Fagus sylvatica embryo. J Plant Growth Regul 16: 57-61

    Google Scholar 

  17. McFaden GI, Ahluwalia B, Clarke AE and Fincher GB (1988) Expression sites and developmental regulation of genes encoding (1→3,1→4)-ß-glucanases in germinated barley. Planta 173: 500-508

    Google Scholar 

  18. Milborrow BV and Mallaby R (1975) Occurrence of methyl (+)-abscisate as an artefact of extraction. J Exp Bot 26: 741-748

    Google Scholar 

  19. Milborrow BV and Vaughan GT (1982) Characterization of dihydrophaseic acid 4'-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside as a major metabolite of abscisic acid. Aust J Plant Physiol 9: 361-372

    Google Scholar 

  20. Muller C and Bonnet-Masimbert M (1985) Levée de dormance des faines avant leur conservation: Résultats préliminaires. Ann Sci For 42: 385-396

    Google Scholar 

  21. Neill SJ, Horgan R and Heald JK (1983) Determination of the levels of abscisic acid-glucose ester in plants. Planta 157: 371-375

    Google Scholar 

  22. Nicolàs C, Nicolàs G and Rodriguez D (1996) Antagonistic effects of abscisic acid and gibberellic acid on the breaking of dormancy of Fagus sylvatica seeds. Physiol Plant 96: 244-250

    Google Scholar 

  23. Rademacher W, Fritsch H, Graebe JE, Sauter H and Jung J (1987) Tetcyclasis and triazole-type plant growth retardants: their influence on the biosynthesis of gibberellins and other metabolism processes. Pestc Sci 21: 241-252

    Google Scholar 

  24. Smok MA, Chojnowski M, Corbineau F and Côme D (1992) Effects of osmotic treatment on sunflower seed germination in relation with temperature and oxygen. Fourth Intern.Workshop on Seeds (Angers, France) pp 1033-1038

  25. Van de Venter HA (1978) Effect of various treatments on germination of dormant seeds of Strelitzia juncea Ait. J South Afr Bot 44: 103-110

    Google Scholar 

  26. Vaughan GT and Milborrow BV (1984) The resolution by HPLC of RS-[2-14C]Me1',4'-cis-Diol of abscisic acid and the metabolism of (-)-R-and (+)-S-abscisic acid. J Exp Bot 35: 110-120

    Google Scholar 

  27. Vertucci CW and Leopold AC (1984) Bound water in soybean seeds and its relation to respiration and inhibition injury. Plant Physiol 75: 114-117

    Google Scholar 

  28. Zeevaart JAD, Gage DA and Creelman RA (1988) Recent studies of the metabolism of abscisic acid. In RP Pharis, SB Road SB (eds) Plant growth substances, pp 233-240. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer-Verlag

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Nice -- Sophia Antipolis, 06108, Nice Cedex 2, France

    Ph. Barthe

  2. Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Nice -- Sophia Antipolis, 06108, Nice Cedex 2, France

    G. Garello, J. Bianco-Trinchant & M.Th. le Page-Degivry

Authors
  1. Ph. Barthe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Garello
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. Bianco-Trinchant
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M.Th. le Page-Degivry
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Barthe, P., Garello, G., Bianco-Trinchant, J. et al. Oxygen availability and ABA metabolism in Fagus sylvatica seeds. Plant Growth Regulation 30, 185–191 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006327532275

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006327532275

Search

Navigation