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- Title
Possible involvement of volatile compounds in the after-ripening of cocklebur seeds.
- Authors
Yohji Esashi; Ming Zhang; Kazuya Segawa; Taiei Furihata; Minoru Nakaya; Yutaka Maeda
- Abstract
The mechanism of emergence from primary dormancy, the process of after-ripening, in cocklebur (Xanthium pennsylvanicum) seeds was examined in relation to the involvement of volatile compounds and to the relative humidity (RH) in which the seeds were stored. The after-ripening of these seeds proceeds only at water contents between 7 and 14%, which are conditioned under RHs of 33% to 53% and are identified with water-binding region II. After-ripening of cocklebur seeds occurred even in waterbinding region I, imposed by 12% RH, when exposed to HCN gas during the storage period. Exposure of dormant seeds to acetaldehyde (ethanal) retarded after-ripening, even in water-binding region II, thus decreasing germinability. This decrease of germinability by ethanal was found also in the after-ripened seeds, suggesting that ethanal accelerates seed deterioration rather than retarding the after-ripening. The contents of ethanal, ethanol and HCN were high only in the dormant seeds held at 12% RH. Regardless of RH, a possible conversion of ethanal to ethanol, perhaps via alcohol dehydrogenase, was far larger in dormant than in non-dormant seeds. In contrast. the reverse conversion of ethanol to ethanal was more profound in non-dormant seeds. Pre-exposure of both types of seeds to HCN reduced the contents of both ethanal and ethanol at 12% RH. The contents of various adenylates including ATP in seed tissues were higher in dormant seeds stored at 12% RH than in non-dormant seeds afterripened at 44% RH. It is suggested that emergence of cocklebur seeds from primary dormancy by HCN treatment at 12% RH may result from the reduction in the contents of ethanal via an unknown mechanism incurring the consumption of ATP This implies involvement of volatile compound metabolism at the water-binding region II in the after-ripening process of cocklebur seeds.
- Subjects
XANTHIUM; SEED pods; ALCOHOL dehydrogenase; DETERIORATION of seeds; EFFECT of humidity on plants; PLANT cells &; tissues
- Publication
Physiologia Plantarum, 1994, Vol 90, Issue 3, p577
- ISSN
0031-9317
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1399-3054.1994.tb08817.x