Programmed Cell Death in Seeds: An Adaptive Mechanism Required for Life

Abstract

The regeneration of the mother plant through germinative process is the main reason that evolutionarily justifies the existence of a viable seed. Current knowledge indicates that the control of germination is a sophisticated process mainly controlled by hormones and reactive oxygen species (ROS), among other endogenous factors. One of the events that directly participate in the germination is the degradation of storage proteins (SPs). Thus, vacuolar processing enzymes (VPEs) contribute to SPs' degradation and mobilization due to direct proteolysis or through the activation of other peptidases. In parallel, the relationship between VPEs and programmed cell death (PCD) is beyond doubt. As an alternative to VPEs, the formation of vesicles called ricinosomes containing papain-like Cys-proteases (PLCPs) and located in the reserve tissues of some germinating seeds also collaborates to protein degradation. Finally, there are increasing evidences linking nucleases to PCD in different tissues of seed. However, its state of the art is still little developed. Together, this current overview illustrates a part of the complexity of PCD in seeds, a puzzle far from being solved.

Assessment of antimitotic and programmed cell death stimulation potentials of Galium sinaicum (Delile ex Decne) Boiss. at cellular level

“…Ning et al (2002) suggested that this pattern of DNA fragmentation may be a universal marker of nuclear change during plant programmed cell death. This systematic DNA fragmentation was associated with significant increase in nucleases activity (Sakamoto and Takami 2014;Matilla 2020). Langston et al (2005) who stated that the nucleic acid catabolism must be catalysed by endonucleases enzymes which are having task of digesting both single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and double stranded DNA (dsDNA).…”

SEM and light microscopic studies in seeds of Hibiscus surattensis L. and phylogenetic attributes in Puducherry region, India

“…In the case of Hibiscus surattensis L., these aborted seeds were found in the same plant as well as plants growing in different localities. Such occurrence indirectly implies that apart from the external factors, genetic factor in scripted in the genes operate the programmed cell death in the maturing seeds at one point of time during the seed maturation and/or hormonal regulations controlled by specific genes (Matilla, 2019;Ozga, Kaur, Savada, & Reinecke, 2016;Wiens, King, Nickrent, Calvin, & Vivrette, 1989). In such cases, it could reasonably be presumed that abortive seed production might also be a genetic character and this character can be considered as species specific in Hibiscus surattensis L. However, to elucidate such presumption, further study is required to trace out at what stage and what genetic cue is responsible for such abortion during seed maturation.…”

Programmed Cell Death in Plants

“…Bitkilerde Programlı Hücre Ölümü moleküler mekanizmalar tarafından organize edilmektedir (Locato ve De Gara, 2018;Balakireva ve Zamyatnin, 2019;Matilla, 2019).…”