Soluble carbohydrates in desiccation tolerance of yellow lupin seeds during maturation and germination

Abstract

Maturing yellow lupin seeds were desiccation tolerant. Glucose, sucrose and cyclitols (mainly D-pinitol, D-chiro-inositol and myo-inositol) were predominant at the early stages of seed growth. Accumulation of the raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) and the galactosyl cyclitols including galactinol, digalactosyl myo-inositol, galactopinitol A, galactopinitol B, trigalactopinitol A, ciceritol, fagopyritol B1 and fagopyritol B2 appeared during seed maturation; their increase correlated with seed germinability after desiccation. The loss of desiccation tolerance after seed germination was also studied. For the desiccation tolerance test, intact seedlings were dried rapidly or slowly followed by rehydration. Soluble carbohydrates were assayed before and after drying. Root tissues were more sensitive to desiccation than hypocotyl tissues and completely lost desiccation tolerance within 36 h of imbibition after both fast and slow-drying treatments. Survival of hypocotyls decreased gradually up to 96 h after imbibition. Loss of RFOs and galactosyl cyclitols in axis tissues preceded visible germination. Loss of desiccation tolerance was accompanied by loss of RFOs and galactosyl cyclitols and an increase in reducing sugars in cotyledon, hypocotyl and radicle tissues. Drying did not induce the accumulation of RFOs and galactosyl cyclitols in seedling tissues.

Herbicide Phytotoxicity and Resistance to Herbicides in Legume Plants

“…This feature, connected with higher metabolic activity of embryonic axes than cotyledons, was also observed in all other legume seeds studied (Horbowicz & Obendorf, 1994;Górecki et al, 1997). Oligosaccharide contents in seeds depend on the rate of seed maturation (Piotrowicz-Cieślak et al, 2003).…”

“…of galactosyl cyclitols (Piotrowicz-Cieślak et al, 2003). Under desiccation seeds of legume plants (soybean, yellow lupin) accumulate mainly RFO, despite the fact that during the natural drying these seeds also form galacto-D-pinitol and D-chiro-inositol (Górecki et al, 1997). Water stress, resulting from soil drought, low or high temperature, may have a significant influence on prompting the biosynthesis of galactinol and RFO in vegetative tissues and maturing seeds.…”

Effect of exogenous abscisic acid on accumulation of raffinose family oligosaccharides and galactosyl cyclitols in tiny vetch seeds (Vicia hirsuta [L.] S.F. Gray)

“…RFOs and Gal-C in incubated seeds and in seeds maturing on plant were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography (Górecki et al 1997) in modification according to . Results were presented as means of three replicates ± standard error.…”

“…Desiccation of seeds out of plant causes biosynthesis and accumulation of both types of =-galactosides, derivatives of sucrose and cyclitols and it is convenient method for studies of physiological processes during seed maturation and drying (Horbowicz et al 1995;Górecki et al 1997;Obendorf et al 1998). During maturation of seed in ex planta the level of these carbohydrates depends on seed development stage and conditions of the experiment.…”

The effect of irrigation, soil cultivation system and nitrogen fertilizer on the vitality and content of selected sugars in Vicia faba seed

“…They are considered to be stress metabolites during water deficit and cold (Keller and Pharr, 1996;Górecki et al, 1997a;Peterbauer and Richter, 2001;Pinheiro et al, 2005). High number of hydroxyl groups and high molecular mass are important for the osmoprotective functions of carbohydrates including the RFOs.…”