Role of high temperature pretreatments on seed germination of desert species ofSida (Malvaceae)

Oecologia ◽  
1971 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 343-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. D. Chawan
1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire L. Brown ◽  
Robert J. Whelan

A number of Australian plant species tolerate fires because seeds are protected in woody fruits and are released after fire, but there is little information about the role of the fruit, or a collection of fruits, in protecting seed from the heat of a fire. This study examined the effects of various temperatures applied to infructescences of Callistemon citrinus (Curtis) Skeels on seed germination. The protective role of the dense collection of fruits in maintaining seed viability was tested by experimentally ‘thinning’ infructescences before heating. Heating of infructescences significantly increased the percentage of seeds germinating from less than 20% at room temperature to over 35% at 200˚C, but caused a decline, with further temperature increase to 800˚C. There was a slight but statistically significant increase in the percentage germination of seeds from thinned infructescences. Increased germination following exposure to high temperature may be a way for a plant to synchronise germination after high-intensity fire, while spreading it out if seeds are released in the absence of fire or after a low-intensity fire.


2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nisreen A. AL-Quraan ◽  
Robert D. Locy ◽  
Narendra K. Singh

Plants have evolved mechanisms to cope with changes in surrounding temperatures. T-DNA insertions in seven calmodulin genes of <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em> were used to investigate the role of specific calmodulin isoforms in tolerance of plants to low and high temperature for seed germination, susceptibility to low and high temperature induced oxidative damage, and changes in the levels of gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt metabolites in response to temperature stress. Exposure of wild type (WT) and <em>cam</em> mutant seeds at 4°C showed reduction in germination of <em>cam5-4</em> and <em>cam6-1</em> seeds. Exposure of cam seedlings to 42°C for 2 hr showed reduction in seed germination and survival of seedlings in <em>cam5-4</em> and <em>cam6-1</em> mutants compared to WT and other <em>cam</em> mutants. Oxidative damage by heat and cold stress measured as the level of malonaldehyde (MDA) was detected increased in root and shoot tissues of cam5- 4 and cam6-1. Oxidative damage by heat measured as the level of MDA was detected in root and shoot of most cam mutants with highest levels in <em>cam5-4</em> and <em>cam6-1</em>. Level of GABA shunt metabolites in seedlings were gradually increased after 1 hr and 3 hr with maximum level after 6 hr and 12 hr treatments at 4ºC. GABA shunt metabolites in both root and shoot were generally elevated after 30 min and 1 hr treatment at 42°C, and increased substantially after 2 hr at 42°C comparing to the control (no treatment). GABA and glutamate levels were increased significantly more than alanine in root and shoot tissues of all cam mutants and wild type compared to the control. Alanine levels showed significant decreases in all cam mutants and in WT for 30 and 60 min of heat stress. Sensitivity of <em>cam5-4 </em>and <em>cam6-1</em> to low temperatures suggests a role of the <em>CAM5</em> and <em>CAM6</em> genes in seed germination and protection against cold induced oxidative damage. Increases in the level of GABA shunt metabolites in response to cold treatment after initial reduction in some cam mutants suggests a role for calmodulin protein (<em>cam</em>) in the activation of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) after exposure to cold, while increased metabolite levels may indicate involvement of other factors like reduction in cytoplasmic pH in cold regulation. Initial general elevation in GABA shunt metabolites after 30 min heat treatment in cam mutants suggests regulation of GABA level by <em>cam</em>. These data suggest that regulation by factors other than cam is likely, and that this factor may relate to the regulation of GAD by intracellular pH and/or metabolite partitioning under heat stress.


HortScience ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 513B-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warley M. Nascimento ◽  
Daniel J. Cantliffe ◽  
Donald J. Huber

Temperatures above 30 °C may delay or inhibit germination of most of commercial lettuce cultivars. Ethylene enhances lettuce seed germination at high temperatures. Enzyme-mediated degradation of endosperm cell walls appears to be a crucial factor for lettuce germination at high temperature. The galactomannan polysaccharides in lettuce endosperm cell wall are mobilized by endomannanase. The role of endo-mannanase during germination of lettuce seeds at high temperature (35 °C) and the possible role of etlene in enzyme regulation were investigated. Seeds of thermotolerant (`Everglades'-EVE) and thermosensitive (`Dark Green Boston'-DGB) lettuce genotypes were incubated at 20 and 35 °C in water, 10 mM of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), or 20 mM of silver thiosulphate (STS). Also, seeds were primed in an aerated solution of polyethylene glycol (PEG), or PEG+ACC, or PEG+STS. Untreated seeds germinated 100% at 20 °C. At 35 °C, EVE germinated 100%, whereas DGB germinated only 33%. Seed priming or adding ACC during imbibition increased germination of DGB to 100% at 35 °C. Adding STS during imbibition led to a decrease in germination at 35%C in EVE and completely inhibited germination of DGB. Priming with STS led to reduced germination at 35%C of both genotypes. EVE produced more ethylene than DGB during germination at high temperature. Providing ACC either during priming or during germination led to an increase in endo-mannanase activity, whereas STS inhibited mannanase activity. Higher endo-mannana activity was observed in EVE than DGB seeds. The results suggest that ethylene might overcome the inhibitory effect of high temperature in thermosensitive lettuce seeds via weakening of endosperm due to increased endo-mannanase activity.


2003 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 601-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warley Marcos Nascimento

Ethylene can stimulate seed germination and overcome dormancy in many species. For instance, the inhibitory effect of high temperature on lettuce seed germination can be overcome by exogenous ethylene. Involvement of ethylene in seed germination is a widely accepted fact, but the mechanistic details are poorly understood. A critical factor in ethylene studies is the response of seed germination properties to various ethylene inhibitors. Lettuce seed has been used as a model to study the role of ethylene in seed germination at high temperature. The role of ethylene in germination is not known but either ethylene evolution or addition of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxilic acid (ACC) have been associated with increased activity of endo-beta-mannanase, a cell-wall enzyme that weakens the endosperm and allows lettuce seed to germinate at high temperature. This review describes some results on seed germination studies in response to ethylene and its possible role in promoting germination at high temperature.


2000 ◽  
Vol 125 (4) ◽  
pp. 518-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warley M. Nascimento ◽  
Daniel J. Cantliffe ◽  
Donald J. Huber

Weakening of the endosperm tissue around the radicle tip before radicle protrusion and a potential role of endo-β-mannanase during germination of lettuce seeds (Lactuca sativa L.) at high temperature (35 °C) were investigated. Seeds from the thermotolerant genotypes `Everglades' and PI 251245 had greater endo-β-mannanase activity before radicle protrusion at 35 °C than the thermosensitive genotypes `Dark Green Boston', `Valmaine' and `Floricos 83'. Thermotolerant genotypes also generated more ethylene at high temperature. At 35 °C, germination of `Dark Green Boston' and `Everglades' seeds produced at days/nights of 20/10 °C was 10% and 32%, respectively, whereas germination of seeds produced at days/nights of 30/20 °C was 67% and 83%, respectively. Higher endo-β-mannanase activity was observed before radicle protrusion in `Dark Green Boston' seeds produced at 30/20 °C compared with those produced at 20/10 °C. A relationship between seed germination at high temperature, ethylene production, and an increase in endo-β-mannanase activity before radicle protrusion was confirmed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rex S Chiu ◽  
Hardeep Nahal ◽  
Nicholas J Provart ◽  
Sonia Gazzarrini

Author(s):  
M.I. Ariëns ◽  
V. Chlan ◽  
P. Novák ◽  
L.G.A. van de Water ◽  
A.I. Dugulan ◽  
...  

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