Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine if the loss of germinability and viability of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) seeds stored at different variants of temperature (4, 20, and 30 °C) and relative humidity (RH: 45 and 75 %) is associated with a loss of membrane integrity and changes in lipid composition. Beech seeds stored for 9 weeks gradually lost viability at a rate dependent on temperature and humidity. The harmful effect of temperature increased with growing humidity. The loss of seed viability was strongly correlated with an increase in membrane permeability and with production of lipid hydroxyperoxides (LHPO), which was regarded as an indicator of peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. The condition of membranes was assessed on the basis of their permeability and the state of lipid components: phospholipids and fatty acids. During seed storage we observed a decline in concentration of individual phospholipids and fatty acids, proportional to the loss of seeds viability. We also detected a decrease in concentrations of α-tocopherol and sterols, which play an important role in protection of membranes against the harmful influence of the environment. Our results show that the germinability of beech seeds declines rapidly at temperature above 0 °C and growing humidity. This is due mainly to the loss of membrane integrity, caused by peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen C.F., Good P., Davis H.F., Chisum P., Fowler S.D. 1966. Methodology for the separation of plant lipids and application to spinach leaf and chloroplast lamellae. J Am. Oil Chem. Soc., 43: 223–230.
Ames D.N. 1966. Assay of inorganic phosphate, total phosphate and phosphatases. In: Methods in Enzymology, ed. by S.P. Colowick, N.O. Kaplan, Acad. Press, New York: 115–118.
Avsian-Krethmer O., Eshdat Y., Gueta-Dahan Y., Ben-Hayim G. 1999. Regulation of stress-induced phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase expression in citrus. Planta, 209: 469–477.
Bewley J.D., Black M. 1994. Seeds, Physiology of Development and Germination. Second Edition, New York and London: Plenum Press.
Corbineau F., Gay-Mathieu C., Vinel D., Côme D. 2002. Decrease in sunflower (Hellantus annuus) seed viability caused by high temperature as related to energy metabolism. Membrane damage and lipid composition. Physiol. Plant., 116: 489–496.
Esashi Y., Kamataki A., Zhang M. 1997. The molecular mechanism of seed deterioration in relation to the accumulation of protein-acetaldehyde adducts. In: Basic and Applied Aspects of Seed Biology ed. by R. Ellis, M. Black, A.J. Murdoch, T.D. Hong, Kluwer Acad. Publ., Boston: 489–498.
Gay C., Collins J., Gebicki J.M. 1999. Hydroperoxide assay with the ferric-xylenol orange complex. Anal. Bioch., 273: 149–155.
Gidrol X., Serghini H., Noubahani A., Mocouot B., Mazliak P. 1989. Biochemical changes induced by accelerated aging of sunflower seeds. I. Lipid peroxidation and membrane damage. Physiol. Plant., 76: 591–597.
Griffiths G., Leverentz M., Silkowski H., Gill N., Sanchez-Serrano J.J. 2000. Lipid hydroperoxide levels in plant tissues. J. Exp. Bot., 51: 1363–1370.
Grunwald C. 1978. Function of sterols. Philosophical Transaction of the Royal Society of London, B., 284: 541–558.
Halliwell B, Gutteridge J.M.C. 1989. Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine. 2nd. Edn Clarendon Press, Oxford.
ISTA 1999. International rules for seed testing. Rules 1999. Seed Sci Technol., 27: 1–133 (Supplement).
Juaneda P.G., Rocquelin G. 1985. Rapid and convenient separation of phospholipids and non-phosphorus lipids from rat heart using silica cartridges. Lipids. 20: 40–41.
Kendall E.J., McKersie B.D. 1989. Free radical and freezing injury to cell membranes of winter wheat. Physiol. Plant., 76: 86–94.
Lesham Y.Y. 1992. Membrane-associated phospholytic and lipolytic enzymes. In: Plant Membranes: a Biophysical Approach to Structure, Development and Senescence ed. by Y.Y. Lesham, Kluwer Acad. Press: 174–191.
Mc Donald M.B. 1999. Seed deterioration: physiology, repair and assessment. Seed Sci. Technol., 27: 177–237.
McKersie B.D., Senaratna T., Walker M.A., Kendall E.J., Hetherington P.R. 1988. Deterioration of membranes during aging in plants: evidence for free radical mediation. In: Senescence and Aging in Plants, ed. by L.D. Nooden, A.C. Leopold, Acad. Press, New York: 441–464.
Merritt D.J., Senaratna T., Touchell D.H., Dixon K.W., Sivasithamparam K. 2003. Seed ageing of four Western Australian species in relation to storage environment and seed antioxidant activity. Seed Sci. Res., 13: 155–165.
Metcalfe L.D., Schmitz A.A., Pelka J.R. 1966. Rapid preparation of fatty acids esters for gas chromatographic analysis. Anal. Chem., 38: 514–515.
Navarri-Izzo F., Izzo R., Bottazzi F., Ranieri A. 1988. Effect of water stress and salinity on sterols in Zea mays shoots. Phytochemistry, 27:3109–3115.
Nichols B.W., Harris R.V., James A.T. 1965. The lipid metabolism of blue-green algae. Biochim. Biophys. Res. Commun., 20: 256–262.
Parrish I., Leopold 1978. On the metabolism of ageing in soybean seeds. Plant Physiol., 61: 385–386.
Pearce R.S., Samad A. 1980. Changes in fatty acid content of polar lipids during ageing of seeds of peanut (Arachis hypogea). J. Exp. Bot., 31: 1283–1290.
Ponquett R.T., Smith M.T., Ross G. 1992. Lipid autooxidation and seed ageing: putative relationships between seed longevity and lipid stability. Seed Sci. Res., 2: 51–54.
Priestley D.A. 1986. Seed aging. Ithaca NY, London. Comstock Publishing Associates.
Priestley D.A., Leopold A.C. 1979. Absence of lipid oxidation during accelerated aging of soybean seeds. Plant Physiol., 63: 726–729.
Pukacka S. 1983. Phospholipid changes and loss of viability in Norway maple (Acer platanoides L) seeds. Z. Pflanzenphysiol., 112: 199–205.
Pukacka S. 1991. Changes in membrane lipid components and antioxidant levels during natural ageing of seeds of Acer platanoides. Physiol. Plant., 82: 306–310.
Pukacka S. 1993. Phospholipase D activity during long-term storage of Acer platanoides seeds in the imbibed state and desiccation of Acer saccharinum seeds. Acta Physiol. Plant., 15: 147–153.
Pukacka S., Hoffmann S.K., Goslar J., Pukacki P.M., Wójkiewicz E. 2003. Water and lipid reactions in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) seeds and its effect on storage behaviour. Biochm. Biophys. Acta, 1621: 48–56
Salama A.M., Pearce R.S. 1993. Ageing of cucumber and onion seeds: phospholipiase D, lipoxygenase activity and changes in phospholipid content. J. Exp. Bot., 44: 1253–1265
Senaratna T., Gusse J. F., Mc Kersie B.D. 1988. Age-induced changes in cellular membranes of imbibed soybean seed axes. Physiol. Plant., 73: 85–91.
Scandé M., Buitink J., Hoekstra F.A. 2000. A study of water relations in neem (Azadirachta indica) seed that is characterized by complex storage behaviour. J. Exp. Bot. 51: 635–643.
Simon E.W. 1974. Phospholipids and membrane permeability. New Phytol., 73: 377–420.
Sung F.J.M., Jeng T.L. 1994. Lipid peroxidation and peroxide scavenging enzymes associated with accelerated aging of peanut seeds. Physiol. Plant. 91: 51–55.
Van Bilsen D.G.J.L., Hoekstra F.A., Crowe L.M., Crowe J.H. 1994. Altered phase behavior in membranes of aging dry pollen may cause imbibitional leakage. Plant Physiol. 104: 1193–1199.
Wilson D.O., Mc Donald M.B. 1986. The lipid peroxidation model of seed ageing. Seed Sci. Technol., 14: 269–300.
Wolkers W.F., Hoekstra F.A. 2003. In situ FTIR assessment of desiccation-tolerant tissues. Spectr. Int. J. 17: 297–313
Wójkiewicz-Ratajczak E., Pukacka S. 2003. Oxidative stress and ageing kinetics of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) seeds. Free Rad. Res. 37: 43–44. (Supplement 2)
Zalewski K., Widejko D., Górecki R. 2000. The influence of CO2 and α-tocopherol on phospholipids changes in embryonic axes of field bean seeds during storage. Acta Soc. Bot. Pol., 69: 123–126.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ratajczak, E., Pukacka, S. Decrease in beech (Fagus sylvatica) seed viability caused by temperature and humidity conditions as related to membrane damage and lipid composition. Acta Physiol Plant 27, 3–12 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-005-0030-6
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-005-0030-6