The influence of seed morpho-physiological and meristematic cell wall traits on seed desiccation sensitivity in three angiosperm tree species

AbstractLarge differences in seed desiccation sensitivity have been observed previously among ten coffee species (Coffea arabica, C. brevipes, C. canephora, C. eugenioides, C. humilis, C. liberica, C. pocsii, C. pseudo-zanguebariae, C. sessiliflora and C.stenophylla). Of these species,C. libericaandC. humiliswere the most sensitive to desiccation andC. pseudozanguebariaethe most tolerant. A study was carried out using the same seed lots to investigate if these differences in desiccation tolerance could be correlated with differences in soluble sugar content. Soluble sugars were extracted from dry seeds and analysed using high performance liquid chromatography. The seed monosaccharide (glucose and fructose) content was very low (1.5 to 2 mg g-1dry weight [dw]) in all species studied. The sucrose content ranged from 33 mg g-1dw inC. libericaseeds to 89 mg g-1dw in seeds ofC. pocsii. Raffinose was detected in the seeds of only five species (C.arabica, C.brevipes, C.humilis, C.sessiliflora, C.stenophylla), among which only three species (C.arabica, C.sessilifloraandC.brevipes) also contained stachyose. Both raffinose and stachyose were present in very low quantities (0.3–1.4 mg g-1dw and 0.1–0.7 mg g-1dw, respectively). Verbascose was never detected. No significant relationship was found between seed desiccation sensitivity and: (i) the sugar content; (ii) the presence/absence of oligosaccharides; and (iii) the oligosaccharide:sucrose ratio.

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Canker formation and decay in sugar maple and paper birch infected by Cerrenaunicolor

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x89-031 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 225-231 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Scott A. Enebak ◽

Robert A. Blanchette

Keyword(s):

Cell Wall ◽

Tree Species ◽

Sugar Maple ◽

Callus Formation ◽

White Rot ◽

Northern Hardwood ◽

Paper Birch ◽

Weak Points ◽

Hardwood Tree ◽

Xylem Discoloration

Cerrenaunicolor (Bull.: Fr.) Murr. (= Daedaleaunicolor) (Aphyllophorales, Polyporaceae) was found to cause a canker rot on two northern hardwood tree species, sugar maple (Acersaccharum Marsh.) and paper birch (Betulapapyrifera Marsh.). Pathogenicity of the fungus was determined by inoculation and examination of cankers 6 months, 1.5 years, and 2.5 years later. The two isolates used were found to differ in pathogenicity. Chemical and morphological barriers formed to compartmentalize the fungus. A zone of enhanced cell wall lignification and the formation of suberized impervious cells which composed the necrophylactic periderm in the host were observed. Xylem discoloration, callus formation, and periderm layers were more pronounced in maple than in birch. Cerrenaunicolor moved past host barriers via a mass of hyphae which annually penetrated weak points in the necrophylactic periderm and subsequently killed the adjacent cambium. Once past the necrophylactic periderm and into the xylem, C. unicolor was an aggressive decay organism which caused an extensive white rot. In naturally infected trees, columns of decay were two or three times longer than the cankers. Multiple zones of decayed and discolored wood were present in the xylem as a result of repeated attacks by the fungus.

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Seed storage behaviour of 101 woody species from the tropical rainforest of southern China: a test of the seed-coat ratio–seed mass (SCR–SM) model for determination of desiccation sensitivity

Australian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1071/bt14037 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 62 (4) ◽

pp. 305 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Qin-ying Lan ◽

Ke Xia ◽

Xiao-feng Wang ◽

Jun-wei Liu ◽

Jin Zhao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Moisture Content ◽

Seed Coat ◽

Tropical Rainforest ◽

Southern China ◽

Seed Mass ◽

Seed Storage ◽

Woody Species ◽

Seed Moisture Content ◽

Seed Desiccation ◽

Desiccation Sensitivity

The Xishuangbanna tropical rainforest in Yunnan Province is the greatest biodiversity hotspot in China. However, the biodiversity of this region is under threat, making seed conservation through seed and/or germplasm banking particularly urgent and crucial. Seed desiccation sensitivity limits the possibility of seed banking of 47% of tropical rainforest species. Thus, knowing if a species has desiccation-sensitive seeds is an important first step in seed banking; however, often resources are limited, making it difficult to determine storage behaviour for all the species in a region. Prediction of seed sensitivity using the SCR–SM model based on seed-coat ratio (SCR) and seed dry mass (SM) might be an alternative for determining desiccation sensitivity of seeds of each species. Here, seed-desiccation sensitivity of 101 woody species from the Xishuangbanna tropical forest were analysed using this model, and physiological determinations were made for a total of 25 species. Seed storage behaviour for 59 species was used for model validation, and storage behaviour of 88% of these species was successfully predicted. Seed storage behaviour of 83% of the 59 species was successfully predicted using the 1000-seed weigth–moisture content (TSW–MC) criteria, which include seeds with 1000-seed weight >500 g and seed moisture content at shedding of 30 –70%. The two predictive methods were subsequently used to predict seed desiccation sensitivity for another 42 species from Xishuangbanna whose storage behaviour was uncertain. Our results indicated that ~50% of the species in Xishuangbanna are likely to have desiccation-sensitive seeds.

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Ecological significance of seed desiccation sensitivity in Quercus ilex

Annals of Botany ◽

10.1093/aob/mct025 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 111 (4) ◽

pp. 693-701 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Thierry Joët ◽

Jean-Marc Ourcival ◽

Stéphane Dussert

Keyword(s):

Quercus Ilex ◽

Ecological Significance ◽

Seed Desiccation ◽

Desiccation Sensitivity

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Predicting the global incidence of seed desiccation sensitivity

Journal of Ecology ◽

10.1111/1365-2745.12725 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 105 (4) ◽

pp. 1082-1093 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Sarah V. Wyse ◽

John B. Dickie

Keyword(s):

Seed Desiccation ◽

Desiccation Sensitivity

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Environmental Correlates for Seed Desiccation Sensitivity of New Caledonian Plant Species1

Pacific Science ◽

10.2984/73.2.5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 73 (2) ◽

pp. 231 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Octavie Toublanc-Lambault ◽

Robin Pouteau ◽

Marion Davezies ◽

Manon Marron ◽

Anthony Pain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Correlates ◽

Seed Desiccation ◽

Desiccation Sensitivity

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Hydrophobic cell-wall barriers and vacuolar sequestration of Na+ ions are among the key mechanisms conferring high salinity tolerance in a biofuel tree species, Pongamia pinnata L. pierre

Environmental and Experimental Botany ◽

10.1016/j.envexpbot.2019.103949 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 171 ◽

pp. 103949 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Sureshbabu Marriboina ◽

Ramachandra Reddy Attipalli

Keyword(s):

Cell Wall ◽

Salinity Tolerance ◽

Tree Species ◽

High Salinity ◽

Pongamia Pinnata ◽

Na Ions ◽

Vacuolar Sequestration

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Evolutionary ecophysiology of seed desiccation sensitivity

Functional Plant Biology ◽

10.1071/fp18022 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 45 (11) ◽

pp. 1083 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Alexandre Marques ◽

Gonda Buijs ◽

Wilco Ligterink ◽

Henk Hilhorst

Keyword(s):

Desiccation Tolerance ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Genetic Alterations ◽

Tropical Rainforests ◽

Model Species ◽

Seed Desiccation ◽

Desiccation Sensitivity ◽

Selection For ◽

Shed Light

Desiccation sensitive (DS) seeds do not survive dry storage due to their lack of desiccation tolerance. Almost half of the plant species in tropical rainforests produce DS seeds and therefore the desiccation sensitivity of these seeds represents a problem for and long-term biodiversity conservation. This phenomenon raises questions as to how, where and why DS (desiccation sensitive)-seeded species appeared during evolution. These species evolved probably independently from desiccation tolerant (DT) seeded ancestors. They adapted to environments where the conditions are conducive to immediate germination after shedding, e.g. constant and abundant rainy seasons. These very predictable conditions offered a relaxed selection for desiccation tolerance that eventually got lost in DS seeds. These species are highly dependent on their environment to survive and they are seriously threatened by deforestation and climate change. Understanding of the ecology, evolution and molecular mechanisms associated with seed desiccation tolerance can shed light on the resilience of DS-seeded species and guide conservation efforts. In this review, we survey the available literature for ecological and physiological aspects of DS-seeded species and combine it with recent knowledge obtained from DT model species. This enables us to generate hypotheses concerning the evolution of DS-seeded species and their associated genetic alterations.

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