Abstract
Deterioration as evidenced by decline in germination or seedling growth of soybean (cv. Essex) seeds during accelerated aging treatments at 41 C and 100% relative humidity is accompanied by increased levels of acetaldehyde and ethanol in imbibing embryonic axes and seeds. These increases become more pronounced with duration of the aging treatment. A similar inverse relationship between levels of acetaldehyde and ethanol and deterioration was observed when seeds were “naturally” aged for several years. During imbibition of low-vigor, accelerated-aged seeds at 25 C, acetaldehyde and ethanol increased from near trace amounts in dry tissues to maximum levels at 4 hours. Increases in acetaldehyde and ethanol during imbibition were less in high- than in low-vigor seeds. Increases were also less pronounced in low-vigor seeds when water uptake injury was avoided by osmotically decreasing water uptake rate with 30% polyethylene glycol. Embryonic axes from deteriorated seeds were characterized by low rates of O2 uptake and high respiratory quotients relative to the unaged controls. Anaerobic conditions and respiratory inhibitors, such as sodium azide, increased acetaldehyde and ethanol in unaged seeds to levels similar to those in accelerated-aged seeds after 2 hours imbibition. It is suggested that, during aging, an imbalance between tricarboxylic and glycolytic activities, present during early imbibition to some degree even in vigorous unaged seeds, becomes more pronounced and leads to accumulation of ethanol and acetaldehyde.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Andrews C. J., Pomeroy M. K. Mitochondrial Activity and Ethanol Accumulation in Ice-encased Winter Cereal Seedlings. Plant Physiol. 1977 Jun;59(6):1174–1177. doi: 10.1104/pp.59.6.1174. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bramlage W. J., Leopold A. C., Parrish D. J. Chilling Stress to Soybeans during Imhibition. Plant Physiol. 1978 Apr;61(4):525–529. doi: 10.1104/pp.61.4.525. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Parrish D. J., Leopold A. C. Transient changes during soybean imbibition. Plant Physiol. 1977 Jun;59(6):1111–1115. doi: 10.1104/pp.59.6.1111. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Pollock B. M., Toole V. K. Imbibition period as the critical temperature sensitive stage in germination of lima bean seeds. Plant Physiol. 1966 Feb;41(2):221–229. doi: 10.1104/pp.41.2.221. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Stewart R. R., Bewley J. D. Lipid peroxidation associated with accelerated aging of soybean axes. Plant Physiol. 1980 Feb;65(2):245–248. doi: 10.1104/pp.65.2.245. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Woodstock L. W., Grabe D. F. Relationships Between Seed Respiration During Imbibition and Subsequent Seedling Growth in Zea mays L. Plant Physiol. 1967 Aug;42(8):1071–1076. doi: 10.1104/pp.42.8.1071. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]