Gas-priming as a novel simple method of seed treatment with ethylene, hydrogen cyanide or nitric oxide

AbstractThe gases used: ethylene (C2H4), hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and nitric oxide (NO) showed a high activity as inductors of germination in primary dormant or non-dormant seeds exposed to stress or suboptimal temperatures. So far, research on the role of ethylene, hydrogen cyanide and nitric oxide has involved these gases during seed germination. This work describes gas-priming as a novel method for treating air dry seeds of the genus Amaranthus serving as a model. Effects of C2H4, HCN or NO applied to dry seeds were similar to those obtained when the gases were used during seed germination for an identical period of time. Application of the gases to air dry seeds presents a new opportunity to study the role of those gases in germination of dormant and non-dormant seeds and to constrain effects of the gases from time 0. The prolonged treatment time for dry seeds (24 h) is convenient because if the treatment is started in the morning, there is sufficient time the next day for further experiments to begin, e.g. germination test in water or in solutions of other compounds. Moreover, it is important that the gas-treated seeds can be stored or transported prior to use. The gas-priming method allows to prepare treated seed samples which can be used in experiments either immediately or after storage in open air or in a closed container. Gas-priming with C2H4, HCN and NO is a simple and useful treatment of air-dried seeds, which opens up new useful possibilities for basic research on the role of those gases in releasing dormancy and seed germination of various plant species. In addition, the method may prove very useful in horticulture and agriculture in improving germination of gas-sensitive seeds.

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Adaptive reprogramming during early seed germination requires temporarily enhanced fermentation a critical role for alternative oxidase (AOX) regulation that concerns also microbiota effectiveness

10.1101/2021.06.08.447570 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Bharadwaj Revuru ◽

Carlos Noceda ◽

Mohanapriya Gunasekharan ◽

Sarma Rajeev Kumar ◽

Karine Leitao Lima Thiers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seed Germination ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Alternative Oxidase ◽

Low Cost ◽

Critical Role ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Reproductive Organs ◽

Cellular Level ◽

Simple Method

Plants respond to environmental cues via adaptive cell reprogramming that can affect whole plant and ecosystem functionality. Microbiota constitutes part of plants inner and outer environment. This Umwelt underlies steady dynamics, due to complex local and global biotic and abiotic changes. Hence, adaptive plant holobiont responses are crucial for continuous metabolic adjustment at systems levels. Plants require oxygen-dependent respiration for energy-dependent adaptive morphology, such as, germination, root and shoot growth, formation of adventitious, clonal and reproductive organs, fruits and seeds. Fermentative paths can help in acclimation and, to our view the role of alternative oxidase (AOX) in coordinating complex metabolic and physiologic adjustments is underestimated. Cellular level of sucrose is an important sensor of environmental stress. We explored the role of exogenous sucrose and its interplay with AOX during early seed germination. We found that sucrose-dependent initiation of fermentation during the first 12 hours after imbibition (HAI) was beneficial to germination. However, parallel enhanced AOX expression was essential to control negative effects by prolonged sucrose treatment. Early down-regulated AOX activity until 12 HAI improved germination efficiency in the absence of sucrose, but suppressed early germination in its presence. Our results also suggest that seeds-inoculated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can buffer sucrose stress during germination to restore normal respiration more efficiently. Following this approach, we propose a simple method to identify organic seeds and low-cost on-farm perspectives for early selection on disease tolerance, predicting plant holobiont behavior and improving germination. Furthermore, our research strengthens the view that AOX can serve as powerful functional marker source for seed hologenomes.

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The role of water channel proteins and nitric oxide signaling in rice seed germination

Cell Research ◽

10.1038/cr.2007.34 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 17 (7) ◽

pp. 638-649 ◽

Cited By ~ 76

Author(s):

Hong-Yan Liu ◽

Xin Yu ◽

Da-Yong Cui ◽

Mei-Hao Sun ◽

Wei-Ning Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitric Oxide ◽

Seed Germination ◽

Water Channel ◽

Rice Seed ◽

Nitric Oxide Signaling ◽

Channel Proteins

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Adaptive Reprogramming During Early Seed Germination Requires Temporarily Enhanced Fermentation-A Critical Role for Alternative Oxidase Regulation That Concerns Also Microbiota Effectiveness

Frontiers in Plant Science ◽

10.3389/fpls.2021.686274 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Revuru Bharadwaj ◽

Carlos Noceda ◽

Gunasekharan Mohanapriya ◽

Sarma Rajeev Kumar ◽

Karine Leitão Lima Thiers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seed Germination ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Alternative Oxidase ◽

Low Cost ◽

Critical Role ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Reproductive Organs ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Simple Method

Plants respond to environmental cues via adaptive cell reprogramming that can affect whole plant and ecosystem functionality. Microbiota constitutes part of the inner and outer environment of the plant. This Umwelt underlies steady dynamics, due to complex local and global biotic and abiotic changes. Hence, adaptive plant holobiont responses are crucial for continuous metabolic adjustment at the systems level. Plants require oxygen-dependent respiration for energy-dependent adaptive morphology, such as germination, root and shoot growth, and formation of adventitious, clonal, and reproductive organs, fruits, and seeds. Fermentative paths can help in acclimation and, to our view, the role of alternative oxidase (AOX) in coordinating complex metabolic and physiological adjustments is underestimated. Cellular levels of sucrose are an important sensor of environmental stress. We explored the role of exogenous sucrose and its interplay with AOX during early seed germination. We found that sucrose-dependent initiation of fermentation during the first 12 h after imbibition (HAI) was beneficial to germination. However, parallel upregulated AOX expression was essential to control negative effects by prolonged sucrose treatment. Early downregulated AOX activity until 12 HAI improved germination efficiency in the absence of sucrose but suppressed early germination in its presence. The results also suggest that seeds inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can buffer sucrose stress during germination to restore normal respiration more efficiently. Following this approach, we propose a simple method to identify organic seeds and low-cost on-farm perspectives for early identifying disease tolerance, predicting plant holobiont behavior, and improving germination. Furthermore, the research strengthens the view that AOX can serve as a powerful functional marker source for seed hologenomes.

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