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Changing sink demand of developing shoot affects transitory starch biosynthesis in embryonic tissues of germinating rice seeds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2010

Shiang-Lin Liu ,
Wei Siao  and
Shu-Jen Wang
Shiang-Lin Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, National Taiwan University, No.1, Section 4, Roosevelt Rd, Taipei 106, Taiwan
Wei Siao
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, National Taiwan University, No.1, Section 4, Roosevelt Rd, Taipei 106, Taiwan
Shu-Jen Wang*
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, National Taiwan University, No.1, Section 4, Roosevelt Rd, Taipei 106, Taiwan
*
*Correspondence Fax: 886-2-3366-4790 Email: shujen@ntu.edu.tw
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Abstract

The mechanism of starch metabolism in the endosperm of germinating rice (Oryza sativa L.) seed (caryopsis) has been well studied; however, little is known about the occurrence and function of transitory starch in germinating rice embryos. During rice seed germination and seedling establishment, starch in the endosperm is hydrolysed to glucose, which is taken up by scutellar epithelial cells, converted to sucrose, and transported through vascular bundles to other embryonic tissues, such as growing shoots and roots. In this study, we found that soluble sugar was converted to starch in the scutellum 6 d after imbibition (DAI). Starch appeared primarily in cells surrounding the vascular bundles of the embryonic axis 12 DAI. The removal of growing shoots caused hyper-accumulation of starch in embryonic tissues, including the scutellum. In contrast, placing seedlings in the dark, which reduced photosynthetic efficiency, lowered starch levels in the embryonic axis cells. The disappearance of transitory starch from embryonic tissues of dark-grown seedlings was accompanied by a reduction of soluble sugar content and the down-regulation of the expression and activity of starch biosynthesis enzymes. These results suggest that the amount of transitory starch in embryonic tissues was dependent on the demand of growing sink tissues.

Keywords

embryoOryza sativaseed germinationsink demandstarch
Type
Research Article
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 20 , Issue 3 , September 2010 , pp. 137 - 144
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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