Ultrasonic Waves Regulate Antioxidant Defense and Gluconeogenesis to Improve Germination From Naturally Aged Soybean Seeds

Abstract

Soybean seeds contain substantial triacylglycerols and fatty acids that are prone to oxidation during storage, contributing to the dramatic deterioration of seed vigor. This study reports an ultrasonic waves treatment (UWT), which is a physical method capable of promoting the germination ability of the aged soybean seeds by regulating the antioxidant defense and gluconeogenesis. Germination test revealed that UWT significantly increased the germination rate and seedlings’ establishment of the soybean seeds stored for 12 months, although insignificantly impacting the vigor of fresh (stored for 1 month) and short-term stored (for 6 months) seeds. Further biochemical analysis revealed that UWT decreased the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), O2⋅–, and malondialdehyde contents in the aged soybean seeds during early germination. Consistently, UWT prominently elevated the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, and also the corresponding gene expressions. Besides, the soluble sugar content of UWT was significantly higher than that of the untreated aged seeds. Analysis of enzyme activity showed UWT significantly upregulated the activities of several key enzymes in gluconeogenesis and the transcription levels of corresponding genes. Moreover, UWT enhanced the invertase activity within aged seeds, which was responsible for catalyzing sucrose hydrolysis for forming glucose and fructose. In summary, UWT improved germination and seedlings establishment of aged soybean seeds by regulating antioxidant defense and gluconeogenesis. This study expands the application of ultrasonication in agricultural production and further clarifies the physiological and molecular mechanisms of the aged seed germination, aiming to provide theoretical and practical guidance for seed quality and safety.

Spermidine regulates wheat grain weight at high planting density by promoting the synthesis of sucrose and starch in inferior grains

“…Similar results were obtained in this study with high‐density planted wheat, where exogenous SPD application still showed an increase in inferior grain weight, while ETH had the opposite effect (Figure 7). Consistent with Huang et al (2023), exogenous SPD increased SOD activity in wheat grains, but decreased MDA content, thereby maintaining cell membrane stability (Figure S5). Importantly, the enhancement of grain weight by exogenous measures was mainly due to the promotion of the sucrose and starch synthesis pathways in grain weight (Peng et al, 2013; Panda et al, 2016; Teng et al, 2022).…”

Seed germination and seedling development assisted by ultrasound: gaps and future research directions

“…Metabolomics analysis also showed that, during germination, some plant metabolites, namely γ ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA), riboflavin (vitamin B 2 ), o ‐phosphoethanolamine, and glucose‐6‐phosphate were found to be significantly increased after the germination of red rice 56,84 . A study of soybean seeds corroborated these findings demonstrating that ultrasound significantly upregulated the activity of several key enzymes in gluconeogenesis and the transcription levels of corresponding genes 85 …”

“…56,84 A study of soybean seeds corroborated these findings demonstrating that ultrasound significantly upregulated the activity of several key enzymes in gluconeogenesis and the transcription levels of corresponding genes. 85 The accelerated imbibition stimulates cell metabolism. The sonication of barley (Hordeum vulgare) seeds resulted in near full imbibition (an increase of 96% in seed weight) 44 h after soaking, wileyonlinelibrary.com/jsfa whereas untreated seeds showed a weight gain of only 52%.…”