The Expression of an Abscisic Acid-Responsive Glycine-Rich Protein Coincides with the Level of Seed Dormancy in Fagus sylvatica

Abstract

By differential screening of a cDNA library constructed from poly (A+) RNA of ABA-treated seeds of Fagus sylvatica L., we have isolated an ABA-responsive clone that is present in dormant seeds and under conditions that maintain dormancy, but it tends to disappear under conditions breaking seed dormancy. A search of the sequence data bases showed that the clone codes for a Glycine-Rich Protein and has sequence similarity to RNA-binding proteins. The clone, which exibits the characteristics of lea-genes, is up-regulated by ABA and down-regulated by GA3. Paclobutrazol abolishes the effect of GA3, which is restored upon addition of GA3. The possible relationship of this Glycine-Rich Protein to seed dormancy in F. sylvatica is discussed.

Evidence for a Role of Gibberellins in Salicylic Acid-Modulated Early Plant Responses to Abiotic Stress in Arabidopsis Seeds

“…In the last few years we have been investigating the responses of beechnut seeds to abscisic acid (ABA) and GA. By using a differential screening, a GA 3 -induced cDNA was isolated from a beechnut seed cDNA library (Nicolás et al, 1997). The corresponding fulllength clone was registered in the EMBL and GenBank nucleotide sequence databases under accession number AM231807.…”

“…In the case of beechnut seeds, the pericarp was manually removed and seeds were sterilized in 1% sodium hypochlorite before imbibition in sterile water or solutions containing 100 mM ABA, 100 mM GA 3 , or 10 mM PCB, as previously described (Nicolás et al, 1996(Nicolás et al, , 1997. Seeds were maintained in the different media at 4°C in the dark from 1 to 6 weeks.…”

“…FsGASA4 was isolated from a cDNA library constructed in the Uni-ZAP XR vector (Stratagene) using poly(A + ) RNA from beechnut seeds as a template (Nicolás et al, 1997), by differential screening, carried out by preparing plaque lifts on nylon membranes (Hybond-N, Amersham Pharmacia Biotech), and hybridized with 32 P-labeled ss-cDNA probes prepared against poly(A + ) RNA obtained from seeds incubated either in GA 3 at 4°C for 4 weeks or in ABA for 2 weeks at 4°C.…”

Vacuolar H+-ATPase Is Expressed in Response to Gibberellin during Tomato Seed Germination

“…While some apparent housekeeping genes are expressed throughout, the majority of genes expressed during germination are distinct from those expressed during development (Hughes and Galau, 1989;Kermode, 1990;Berry and Bewley, 1991). For example, differentially expressed genes potentially related to seed germination or dormancy have been identified in wheat (Triticum aestivum; Morris et al, 1991), cheatgrass (Bromus secalinus; Goldmark et al, 1992), wild oat (Avena fatua; Johnson et al, 1995;Li and Foley, 1995;Jones et al, 1997), beech (Fagus sylvatica L.; Nicolás et al, 1997), and Arabidopsis (Haslekås et al, 1998). Much is known about germination-specific genes associated with reserve mobilization during seedling growth (Jacobsen et al, 1995;Kermode, 1995), but less information is available on genes functionally related to the initial processes leading to endosperm weakening or embryo growth that result in the completion of germination (Bewley, 1997b;Bradford et al, 2000).…”

Expression of PsGRP1, a novel glycine rich protein gene of Pisum sativum, is induced in developing fruit and seed and by ABA in pistil and root

“…This suggests that GRPs are involved in diverse cellular processes during development and adaptation to environmental changes (Sachetto-Martins et al 2000). GRP expression can be under hormonal control of auxins (Reddy and Poovaiah 1987), gibberellins (Nicola´s et al 1997), methyl jasmonate and ethylene (Molina et al 1997), and abscisic acid (ABA; Sachetto-Martins et al 2000). The latter has been particularly associated with water stress (Mundy and Chua 1988;Creelman and Mullet 1991;Laberge et al 1993).…”