Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-sjtt6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-27T16:20:01.714Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Desiccation sensitivity and activities of free radical-scavenging enzymes in recalcitrant Theobroma cacao seeds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2007

Changrun Li  and
Wendell Q. Sun
Changrun Li
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore119260
Wendell Q. Sun*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore119260
*
*Correspondence Tel: 65–874–7932 Fax: 65–779–2486 Email: dbssunwq@nus.edu.sg
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Mature and immature axes of Theobroma cacao (cocoa) seeds tolerated desiccation under a rapid-drying regime to critical water contents of 1.0 and 1.7 g g-1 dw, respectively. These critical water contents corresponded to water contents below which activities of free radical-scavenging enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) decreased rapidly during desiccation. The decline in axis viability below the critical water content was correlated with sharp increases in lipid peroxidation and cellular leakage. Cotyledon tissues were more desiccation-tolerant than axes, with a low critical water content of 0.24 g g–1dw. Desiccation sensitivity in cotyledon tissues was also correlated with the decrease in superoxide dismutase activity and increased lipid peroxidation products. However, in the cotyledons, no ascorbate peroxidase activity was detected at any water content, and peroxidase activity was gradually reduced as desiccation proceeded. Cocoa embryonic axes contained large amounts of sucrose, raffinose and stachyose but only traces of reducing monosaccharides. Desiccation sensitivity of recalcitrant cocoa axes did not appear to be due to the lack of sugar-related protective mechanisms during desiccation, and it was more likely related to the decrease of enzymic protection against desiccation-induced oxidative stresses.

Keywords

ascorbate peroxidasecarbohydratedesiccation tolerancelipid peroxidationrecalcitrant seedsuperoxide dismutaseTheobroma cacao
Type
Research Article
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , March 1999 , pp. 209 - 217
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Berjak, P. and Pammenter, N.W. (1994) Recalcitrance is not an all-or-nothing situation. Seed Science Research 4, 263–264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carpenter, J.F., Crowe, L.M. and Crowe, J.H. (1987) Stabilization of phosphofructokinase with sugars during freeze-drying: characterization of enhanced protection in the presence of divalent cations. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 923, 109–115.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chaitanya, K.S.K. and Naithani, S.C. (1994) Role of superoxide, lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase in membrane perturbation during loss of viability in seeds of Shorea robusta Gaertn. f. New Phytologist 126, 623–627.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chaitanya, K.S.K. and Naithani, S.C. (1998) Kinetinmediated prolongation of viability in recalcitrant sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn. f) seeds at low temperature: role of kinetin in delaying membrane deterioration during desiccation-induced injury. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 17, 63–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chandel, K.P.S., Chaudhury, R., Radhamani, J. and Malik, S.K. (1995) Desiccation and freezing sensitivity in recalcitrant seeds of tea, cocoa and jackfruit. Annals of Botany 76, 443–450.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chin, H.F. and Roberts, E.H. (1980) Recalcitrant crop seeds. Kuala Lumpur, Tropical Press SDN. BHD.Google Scholar
Crévecoeur, M., Deltour, R. and Bronchard, R. (1976) Cytological study on water stress during germination of Zea mays. Planta 132, 31–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crowe, J.H., Crowe, L.M. and Chapman, D. (1984) Preservation of membranes in anhydrobiotic organisms: the role of trehalose. Science 223, 701–703.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Finch-Savage, W.E., Hendry, G.A.F. and Atherton, N.M. (1994) Free radical activity and loss of viability during drying of desiccation-sensitive tree seeds. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 102B, 257–260.Google Scholar
Finch-Savage, W.E., Blake, P.S. and Clay, H.A. (1996) Desiccation stress in recalcitrant Quercus robur L. seeds results in lipid peroxidation and increased synthesis of jasmonates and abscisic acid. Journal of Experimental Botany 47, 661–667.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giannopolitis, C.N. and Ries, S.K. (1977) Superoxide dismutases. I. Occurrence in higher plants. Plant Physiology 59, 309–314.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heath, R.L. and Packer, L. (1968) Photoperoxidation in isolated chloroplasts. I. Kinetics and stoichiometry of fatty acid peroxidation. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 125, 189–198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hendry, G.A.F., Finch-Savage, W.E., Thorpe, P.C., Atherton, N.M., Buckland, S.M., Nilsson, K.A. and Seel, W.E. (1992) Free radical processes and loss of seed viability during desiccation in the recalcitrant species Quercus robur L. New Phytologist 122, 273–279.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hoekstra, F.A., Crowe, J.H. and Crowe, L.M. (1991) Effect of sucrose on phase behavior of membranes in intact pollen of Typha latifola L. as measured with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Plant Physiology 97, 1073–1079.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kato, M. and Shimizu, S. (1987) Chlorophyll metabolism in higher plants. VII. Chlorophyll degradation in senescing tobacco leaves; phenolic-dependent peroxidative degradation. Canadian Journal of Botany 65, 729–735.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koster, K.L. and Leopold, A.C. (1988) Sugars and desiccation tolerance in seeds. Plant Physiology 88, 829–832.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leprince, O., Deltour, R., Thorpe, P.C., Atherton, N.M. and Hendry, G.A.F. (1990) The role of free radicals and radical processing systems in loss of desiccation tolerance in germinating maize (Zea mays). New Phytologist 116, 573–580.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leprince, O., Hendry, G.A.F. and McKersie, B.D. (1993) The mechanisms of desiccation tolerance in developing seeds. Seed Science Research 3, 231–246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lin, T.P. and Huang, N.H. (1994) The relationship between carbohydrate composition of some tree seeds and their longevity. Journal of Experimental Botany 45, 1289–1294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nakano, Y. and Asada, K. (1981) Hydrogen peroxide is scavenged by ascorbate-specific peroxidase in spinach chloroplasts. Plant and Cell Physiology 22, 867–880.Google Scholar
Ooms, J.J.J., Leon-Kloosterziel, K.M., Bartels, D., Koornneef, M. and Karssen, C.M. (1993) Acquisition of desiccation tolerance and longevity in seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana: a comparative study using abscisic acid-insensitive abi3 mutants. Plant Physiology 102, 1185–1191.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pammenter, N.W., Berjak, P., Farrant, J.M., Smith, M.T. and Ross, G. (1994) Why do stored hydrated recalcitrant seeds die? Seed Science Research 4, 187–191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sargent, J.A., Mandi, S.S. and Osborne, D. (1981) The loss of desiccation tolerance during germination: an ultrastructural and biochemical approach. Protoplasma 105, 225–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Senaratna, T., McKersie, B.D. and Stinson, R.H. (1984) Association between membrane phase properties and dehydration injury in soybean axes. Plant Physiology 76, 759–762.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sun, W.Q. and Leopold, A.C. (1993) Acquisition of desiccation tolerance in soybeans. Physiologia Plantarum 87, 403–409.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sun, W.Q., Irving, T.C. and Leopold, A.C. (1994) The role of sugar, vitrification and membrane phase transition in seed desiccation tolerance. Physiologia Plantarum 90, 621–628.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sun, W.Q. and Leopold, A.C. (1995) The Maillard reaction and oxidative stress during aging of soybean seeds. Physiologia Plantarum 94, 94–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sun, W.Q., Leopold, A.C., Crowe, L.M. and Crowe, J.H. (1996) Stability of dry liposomes in sugar glasses. Biophysical Journal 70, 1769–1776.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sun, W.Q. and Leopold, A.C. (1997) Cytoplasmic vitrification and survival of anhydrobiotic organisms. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 117A, 327–333.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van der Toorn, P. and McKersie, B.D. (1995) The high reducing sugar content during germination contributes to desiccation damage in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) radicles. Seed Science Research 5, 145–149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, R.J. and Leopold, A.C. (1989) The glassy state in corn embryos. Plant Physiology 89, 977–981.CrossRefGoogle Scholar