Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T02:47:39.942Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Cell cycle events in developing neem (Azadirachta indica) seeds: are they related to intermediate storage behaviour?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2008

Moctar Sacandé ,
Steven P. C. Groot ,
Folkert A. Hoekstra ,
Renato D. De Castro  and
Raoul J. Bino
Moctar Sacandé
Affiliation:
Centre National de Semences Forestières, B.P. 2682, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso CPRO-DLO, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, Netherlands Department of Plant Physiology, Wageningen Agricultural University, Arboretumlaan 4, 6703 BD Wageningen, Netherlands
Steven P. C. Groot*
Affiliation:
CPRO-DLO, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, Netherlands
Folkert A. Hoekstra
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Physiology, Wageningen Agricultural University, Arboretumlaan 4, 6703 BD Wageningen, Netherlands
Renato D. De Castro
Affiliation:
CPRO-DLO, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, Netherlands
Raoul J. Bino
Affiliation:
CPRO-DLO, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, Netherlands
*
*Correspondence
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Seeds of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.), a multipurpose tropical tree, have limited desiccation tolerance. Whether their intermediate storage behaviour might be caused by an elevated percentage of 4C nuclei in the embryo at maturity was investigated. Morphological development of neem seeds was monitored on selected trees in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Developing seeds were tested for germinability, and cell cycle events were determined by using flow cytometry and analysing the level of β-tubulin. Germination could occur after 8 weeks of seed development, but normal seedlings resulted only after 10 weeks or more. The change in fruit colour from green to yellow began after approximately 12 weeks of seed development. Immature, 4-week-old embryos about 2 mm in length had 15% of cells in the G2 phase and 60% in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, as indicated by 4C and 2C nuclear DNA levels, respectively. During maturation, the proportion of G2 cells declined to 3% at full maturity and slightly further after drying, and the proportion of G1 cells increased to approximately 90%. A strong β-tubulin signal was observed in tips of young embryonic radicles and cotyledons, but a weak or non-detectable signal was found in 9-week-old ones and in those from green-mature and yellow fruits. Because DNA replication and β-tubulin level were almost negligible at seed maturity, as in orthodox tomato seeds, it is suggested that these factors are not involved in the intermediate storage behaviour of neem seeds.

Keywords

Azadirachta indicaneemflow cytometrynuclear replication stageseed developmentseed storageβ-tubulin
Type
Physiology
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , June 1997 , pp. 161 - 168
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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

Bewley, J.D. and Black, M. (1994) Seeds. Physiology of development and germination. New York, London, Plenum Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bino, R.J., De Vries, J.N., Kraak, H.L. and Van Pijlen, J.G. (1992) Flow cytometric determinations of nuclear replication stages in tomato seeds during priming and germination. Annals of Botany 69, 231–236.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bino, R.J., Lanteri, S., Verhoeven, H.A. and Kraak, H.L. (1993) Flow cytometric determinations of nuclear replication stages in tomato seed tissues. Annals of Botany 72, 181–187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brunori, A. (1967) Relationship between DNA synthesis and water content during ripening of Vicia faba seeds. Caryologia 20, 333–338.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chin, H.F. and Roberts, E.H. (1980) Recalcitrant crop seeds. Kuala Lumpur, Tropical Press Sdn. Bhd.Google Scholar
De Castro, R.D., Zheng, X., Bergervoet, J.H.W., de Vos, C.H. and Bino, R.J. (1995) β-Tubulin accumulation and DNA replication in imbibing tomato seeds. Plant Physiology 109, 499–504.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Deltour, R. (1985) Nuclear activation during early germination of the higher plant embryo. Journal of Cell Science 75, 43–83.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ellis, R.H. (1991) The longevity of seeds. HortScience 26, 1119–1125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellis, R.H., Hong, T.D. and Roberts, E.H. (1990) An intermediate category of seed storage behaviour? I. Coffee. Journal of Experimental Botany 41, 1167–1174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ezumah, B.S. (1986) Germination and storage of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) seeds. Seed Science and Technology 14, 593–600.Google Scholar
Gamené, C.S., Kraak, H.L., Van Pijlen, J.G. and De Vos, C.H. (1996) Storage behaviour of neem (Azadirachta indica) seeds from Burkina Faso. Seed Science and Technology 24, 441–448.Google Scholar
Gilissen, L.J.W. and Hoekstra, F.A. (1984) Pollination-induced corolla wilting in Petunia hybrida. Rapid transfer through the style of a wilting-inducing substance. Plant Physiology 75, 496–498.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hong, T.D. and Ellis, R.H. (1992) Development of desiccation tolerance in Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.) seeds during maturation drying. Seed Science Research 2, 169–172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
ISTA (1993) International rules for seed testing. Seed Science and Technology 21, 25–30; 37–41.Google Scholar
Kermode, A.R. and Bewley, J.D. (1985) The role of maturation drying in the transition from seed development to germination. I. Acquisition of desiccation-tolerance and germinability during development of Ricinus communis L. seeds. Journal of Experimental Botany 36, 1906–1915.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lanteri, S., Kraak, H.L., de Vos, C.H. and Bino, R.J. (1993) Effects of osmotic preconditioning on nuclear replication activity in seeds of pepper (Capsicum annuum). Physiologia Plantarum 89, 433–440.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, Y.Q., Bergervoet, J.H.W., de Vos, C.H., Hilhorst, H.W.M., Kraak, H.L., Karssen, C.M. and Bino, R.J. (1994) Nuclear replication activities during imbibition of abscisic acid and gibberellin-deficient tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) seeds. Planta 194, 368–373.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, Y., Bino, R.J., van der Burg, W.J., Groot, S.P.C. and Hilhorst, H.W.M. (1996) Effects of osmotic priming on dormancy and storability of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) seeds. Seed Science Research 6, 49–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maithani, G.P., Bahuguna, V.K., Rawat, M.M.S. and Sood, O.P. (1989) Fruit maturity and interrelated effects of temperature and container on longevity of neem (Azadirachta indica) seeds. Indian Forester 115, 89–97.Google Scholar
Roberts, E.H. (1973) Predicting the storage life of seeds. Seed Science and Technology 1, 499–514.Google Scholar
Roberts, E.H. and Ellis, R.H. (1989) Water and seed survival. Annals of Botany 63, 39–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, E.H., King, M.W. and Ellis, R.H. (1984) Recalcitrant seeds: their recognition and storage. pp 38–52in Holden, J.H.W. and Williams, J.T. (Eds) Crop genetic resources: conservation and evaluation. London, Allen and Unwin.Google Scholar
Roederer, Y. and Bellefontaine, R. (1989) Can neem seeds be expected to keep their germinative capacity for several years after collection? Forest Genetic Resources Information 17, 30–33.Google Scholar
Sacandé, M., Van Pijlen, J.P., de Vos, C.H., Hoekstra, F.A., Bino, R.J. and Groot, S.P.C. (1997) Intermediate storage behaviour of neem tree (Azadirachta indica) seeds from Burkina Faso. pp 101–104in Poulsen, K., Stubsgaard, F. and Ouédraogo, A.S. (Eds) Improved methods for the handling and storage of intermediate/recalcitrant tropical forest tree seeds. Rome, IPGRI.Google Scholar
Sanhewe, A.J. and Ellis, R.H. (1996) Seed development and maturation in Phaseolus vulgaris. II. Post-harvest longevity in air-dry storage. Journal of Experimental Botany 47, 959–965.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saracco, F., Bino, R.J., Bergervoet, J.H.W. and Lanteri, S. (1995) Influence of priming-induced nuclear replication activity on storability of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seed. Seed Science Research 5, 25–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tetteroo, F.A.A., Bino, R.J., Bergervoet, J.H.W. and Hasenack, B. (1995) Effect of ABA and slow drying on DNA replication in carrot (Daucus carota) embryoids. Physiologia Plantarum 95, 154–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tompsett, P.B. (1994) Capture of genetic resources by collection and storage of seed: a physiological approach. pp 61–71in Leakey, R.R.B. and Newton, A.C. (Eds) Tropical trees: the potential for domestication and the rebuilding of forest resources. ITE Symposium No. 29, ECTF Symposium No 1, London, HMSO.Google Scholar
Van Pijlen, J.G., Groot, S.P.C., Kraak, H.L., Bergervoet, J.H.W. and Bino, R.J. (1996) Effects of pre-storage hydration treatments on germination performance, moisture content, DNA synthesis and controlled deterioration tolerance of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) seeds. Seed Science Research 6, 57–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xu, N. and Bewley, J.D. (1994) Desiccation and the switch from seed development to germination. Alfalfa embryos can synthesize storage proteins after germination if maturation drying is prevented. Seed Science Research 4, 247–255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar