Seed desiccation: a bridge between maturation and germination

Angelovici, Ruthie; Galili, Gad; Fernie, Alisdair R.; Fait, Aaron

doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2010.01.003

Cited by 263 publications

(221 citation statements)

References 94 publications

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“…Our comparative transcriptomic analysis of desiccation-tolerant and -intolerant mutants identified biological processes important for DT acquisition in seeds and coincides with findings from previous reports (3,37). However, there is no information available on TFs that regulate the genetic networks involved in the acquisition of seed DT.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Regulatory network analysis reveals novel regulators of seed desiccation tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

González-Morales

Montes

Hayano-Kanashiro

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

109

100

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Desiccation tolerance (DT) is a remarkable process that allows seeds in the dry state to remain viable for long periods of time that in some instances exceed 1,000 y. It has been postulated that seed DT evolved by rewiring the regulatory and signaling networks that controlled vegetative DT, which itself emerged as a crucial adaptive trait of early land plants. Understanding the networks that regulate seed desiccation tolerance in model plant systems would provide the tools to understand an evolutionary process that played a crucial role in the diversification of flowering plants. In this work, we used an integrated approach that included genomics, bioinformatics, metabolomics, and molecular genetics to identify and validate molecular networks that control the acquisition of DT in Arabidopsis seeds. Two DT-specific transcriptional subnetworks were identified related to storage of reserve compounds and cellular protection mechanisms that act downstream of the embryo development master regulators LEAFY COTYLEDON 1 and 2, FUSCA 3, and ABSCICIC ACID INSENSI-TIVE 3. Among the transcription factors identified as major nodes in the DT regulatory subnetworks, PLATZ1, PLATZ2, and AGL67 were confirmed by knockout mutants and overexpression in a desiccationintolerant mutant background to play an important role in seed DT. Additionally, we found that constitutive expression of PLATZ1 in WT plants confers partial DT in vegetative tissues.regulatory network | desiccation tolerance | drought tolerance | seed development | oligosaccharides D esiccation tolerance (DT) can be operationally defined as the ability of an organism to dry to equilibrium with moderately dry air (50 to 70% relative humidity at 20 to 30°C) and then resume normal function when rehydrated (1). DT organisms orchestrate a complex number of responses to protect cellular structures and prevent damage to proteins and nucleic acids. Early land plants evolved mechanisms to survive harsh drying environments to successfully exploit different ecosystems on land. Therefore, it has been postulated that the initial evolution of vegetative DT, in both vegetative and reproductive stages, was a crucial step required for the colonization of land by primitive plants of a fresh water origin (2).Seed DT, a trait that allows terrestrial plants to survive long periods of sparse water until favorable conditions are present for germination, is probably part of the answer to Darwin's "abominable mystery," the sudden appearance of great angiosperm diversity in the fossil record. In angiosperms, DT is acquired at the seed maturation stage, which involves a complex regulatory network (3, 4) that activates a large subset of genes involved in a number of mechanisms that influence seed survival in the dry state. The set of genes required for seed DT includes genes encoding protective proteins such as late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) (5, 6) and heat shock proteins (HSPs) (7), enzymes involved in scavenging reactive oxygen species (8) and the biosynthesis of protective compounds such as o...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Regulatory network analysis reveals novel regulators of seed desiccation tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

González-Morales

Montes

Hayano-Kanashiro

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

109

100

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“…Following morphogenesis, developing seeds enter a maturation stage, during which storage compounds are synthesized (Angelovici et al 2010). The early and mid phases of maturation are dominated by the action of the phytohormone absciscic acid (ABA) (Nambara and Marion 2003).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The tolerance of the seed also allows the embryo to maintain viability over remarkably long periods, ranging over centuries or even millennia (Sallon et al 2008), whereas some economically important plants have recalcitrant seeds, which are sensitive to desiccation and cannot be stored for long periods (Angelovici et al 2010). Therefore, an accurate understanding of the events in seed desiccation and clarification of the mechanisms of desiccation tolerance are important for agriculture.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Proteomic analysis of stress-related proteins in rice seeds during the desiccation phase of grain filling

Sano

Masaki

Tanabata

et al. 2013

Plant Biotechnology

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During seed maturation, the water content of seeds decreases remarkably. Mature seeds can germinate after imbibition since the embryos are protected by mechanism of desiccation tolerance. To better understand the mechanism of desiccation tolerance in seeds, we analyzed the fluctuation of stress-related proteins in the desiccation phase of rice seeds by a real-time RT-PCR and gel-based proteomic approach. Based on the changes in water content of developing rice seeds, we defined stages from the beginning of dehydration (10 to 20 days after flowering) and the desiccation phase (20 to 40 days after flowering). The proteomic analysis revealed that late embryogenesis abundant proteins, small heat shock proteins and antioxidative proteins accumulate at the beginning of dehydration and remain at a high level in the desiccation phase, suggesting that these proteins are involved in acquisition of desiccation tolerance. The fluctuation in levels of mRNA encoding some stress-related proteins did not precisely reflect the change in levels of these proteins. Therefore, proteomic analysis, which provides an accurate assessment of changes in protein levels, is a more efficient technique than transcriptomics for inferring the role of stress-related proteins in rice seeds.

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“…However, if drying of seeds during maturation to water contents below 10% is considered, the drying times are comparable. The initial slow reduction in water content, prior to this, is largely the result of the accumulation of reserves, driving water out of the cells (Angelovici et al, 2010). From the attainment of maximum dry weight onward, together with the detachment of seeds from the funiculus connecting them to the mother plant (seed abscission), water loss is the result of environmentally controlled drying.…”

Section: Mechanisms For Protection Against Water Loss and Drying Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

Orthodox Seeds and Resurrection Plants: Two of a Kind?

Costa

Cooper

Hilhorst³

et al. 2017

Plant Physiol.

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Seed desiccation: a bridge between maturation and germination

Cited by 263 publications

References 94 publications

Regulatory network analysis reveals novel regulators of seed desiccation tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

Regulatory network analysis reveals novel regulators of seed desiccation tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

Proteomic analysis of stress-related proteins in rice seeds during the desiccation phase of grain filling

Orthodox Seeds and Resurrection Plants: Two of a Kind?

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