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Natural priming of Wigandia urens seeds during burial: effects on germination, growth and protein expression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2007

Lourdes González-Zertuche
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM
Carlos Vázquez-Yanes
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-275, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México, D. F. México
Alicia Gamboa
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-275, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México, D. F. México
M. Esther Sánchez-Coronado
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-275, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México, D. F. México
Patricia Aguilera
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-275, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México, D. F. México
Alma Orozco-Segovia*
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-275, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México, D. F. México
*
*Correspondence Tel: (525)6 22 90 08 Fax: (525) 6 16 19 76 and 6 22 89 95 Email: [email protected]

Abstract

To determine whether seeds of the weedy shrub Wigandia urens, from the Valley of Mexico, undergo natural priming when buried in soil, comparative experiments were performed with seeds: (1) harvested directly from the plants; (2) buried in three natural habitat conditions; and (3) laboratory primed with polyethylene glycol. Seeds were sown in a growth chamber and in a shade house. Final germination percentages, emergence, germination and emergence rates, survival and initial growth were determined. Burial and priming enhanced the germination and emergence parameters evaluated in the laboratory and in the shade house. Effects of treatments on survival were not significantly different. Nevertheless, burial improved emergence and mean survival, and induced differences in specific leaf area of seedlings that could have ecological significance. Heat-stable proteins were extracted and electrophoresed. Proteins formed in W. urens seeds during burial had molecular weights (14–21 kDa) similar to those reported for late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins induced by priming in other species. Nevertheless, the presence and abundance of proteins expressed (14–23, 36 and more than 45 kDa) differed among control, primed and buried seeds. During soil burial, molecular and physiological responses were induced that were similar to the effects of priming.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2001

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