Advances in Seed Physiology

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Development and Morphogenesis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 June 2023) | Viewed by 6634

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, Tlalnepantla 54090, Edo. de México, Mexico
Interests: seed physiology; climate change; seed bank; mycotoxins

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Guest Editor
Departamento de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, Mexico City C.P. 04510, Mexico
Interests: ecology; physiology; ecophisiology; pteridology; germination

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Seeds are the primary structure of dormancy and dispersal of plant species. During seed germination, molecular and biochemical regulation processes occur that determine progress in the stages of imbibition and anatomical development that leads to root protrusion and the beginning of the vegetative development of the seedling.

Knowledge of the properties of dispersion and resistance of the seeds and the morphological, physiological, and molecular processes involved in the regulation of germination are essential requirements for the understanding of large-scale processes such as the distribution of species and the effect of climate change on seeds, or on a smaller scale, the understanding of the structural and physiological factors that regulate germination and the stressors that reduce the vigor and viability of seeds.

The purpose of this Special Issue on “Advances in Seed Physiology” is to bring together the contributions of authors interested in the subject, to finetune the current state of the art in seed physiology and, to constitute a conceptual and methodological framework for the development of strategies for the propagation and conservation of germplasm in seed banks.

Dr. Cesar M. Flores-Ortiz
Dr. Alma Orozco-Segovia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • seeds physiology
  • imbibition
  • dormancy
  • scarification
  • molecular regulation
  • reactive oxygen species (ros)
  • seed aging
  • fatty acid peroxidation
  • cardinal temperatures
  • potential distribution
  • natural seed bank
  • ex situ seed bank

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 3875 KiB  
Article
iTRAQ-Based Proteomic and Physiological Analyses Reveal the Mechanisms of Dehydration and Cryopreservation Tolerance of Sophora tonkinensis Gagnep. Seeds
by Yongjian Luo, Yixin Zhang, Yu Jiang, Zhangyan Dai, Qing Li, Jiaolin Mou, Li Xu, Shiming Deng, Jitao Li, Ru Wang, Jun Liu and Zhijun Deng
Plants 2023, 12(9), 1842; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12091842 - 29 Apr 2023
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Abstract
Sophora tonkinensi is a shrub of the genus Sophora in the family Fabaceae with anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. While the cultivation, chemical makeup, and medicinal properties of S. tonkinensis have been reported, the physiological mechanisms governing its dehydration and cryopreservation tolerance of seeds [...] Read more.
Sophora tonkinensi is a shrub of the genus Sophora in the family Fabaceae with anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. While the cultivation, chemical makeup, and medicinal properties of S. tonkinensis have been reported, the physiological mechanisms governing its dehydration and cryopreservation tolerance of seeds remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the morphological, physiological, biochemical, and protein expression characteristics of S. tonkinensis seeds subjected to dehydration and cryopreservation techniques via the observation of cell microstructure, determination of antioxidant enzyme activity, and iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis, respectively. The results of the study demonstrated that the seeds possessed a certain level of tolerance to dehydration. The highest germination percentage of 83.0% was observed after 2 h of dehydration (10.1% water content), which was identified as the optimal time point for cryopreservation. However, the germination percentage was reduced to only 30.5% when the water content reached 5.4%, indicating that S. tonkinensis seeds exhibit intermediate storage behavior. Further investigation revealed that during seed dehydration and cryopreservation treatment, liposomes were gradually and highly fused, whereas the activities of ROS scavenging and stress defense were significantly enhanced. During dehydration, the seed tissues formed a protective mechanism of stress resistance based on protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum and antioxidant system, which was related to the dehydration tolerance. Moreover, only three differentially expressed LEA proteins were identified, and it is speculated that the strengthening of intracellular metabolism and the absence of specific LEA and dehydrins could be crucial factors for the reduced germination percentage after excessive dehydration and cryopreservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Seed Physiology)
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18 pages, 3684 KiB  
Article
Variation in Seed Dormancy of Chaco Seasonally Dry Forest Species: Effects of Seed Traits and Population Environmental Conditions
by Tania Bertuzzi, Diego López-Spahr, Carlos A. Gómez, Silvia Sühring, Gisela Malagrina, Carol C. Baskin and Guadalupe Galíndez
Plants 2023, 12(9), 1790; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12091790 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2114
Abstract
The persistence of subtropical seasonally dry forests urgently requires the implementation of ex situ conservation and restoration programs. We studied variation in seed traits and dormancy of six native species growing in seasonally dry Chaco forests of Argentina. We documented high intra- and [...] Read more.
The persistence of subtropical seasonally dry forests urgently requires the implementation of ex situ conservation and restoration programs. We studied variation in seed traits and dormancy of six native species growing in seasonally dry Chaco forests of Argentina. We documented high intra- and interspecific variability in seed traits and dormancy. Fresh seeds of Geoffroea decorticans and Parasenegalia visco (Fabaceae) were water-permeable and nondormant (ND), while those of Parkinsonia praecox and Vachellia aroma (Fabaceae) were water-impermeable and had physical dormancy (PY). Seeds of Schnopsis lorentzii (Anacardiaceae) and Sarcomphalus mistol (Rhamnaceae) were water-permeable and had physiological dormancy (PD). Mechanical and chemical scarification were the most effective methods to break PY, and dry storage for 3 months was effective in breaking PD. Seeds of large-seeded species were ND or had PD, and those of small-seeded species had PY. Species inhabiting moist habitats had ND seeds, whereas those from seasonally dry habitats had seeds with PY or PD. These results suggest that seed traits and dormancy are species-specific and that intraspecific variation in seed traits is likely associated with high phenotypic plasticity of species in response to local environmental heterogeneity. These findings should be considered at the time of implementation of conservation techniques and for seed sourcing decisions for restoration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Seed Physiology)
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18 pages, 4346 KiB  
Article
Potential Distribution of Cedrela odorata L. in Mexico according to Its Optimal Thermal Range for Seed Germination under Different Climate Change Scenarios
by Salvador Sampayo-Maldonado, Cesar A. Ordoñez-Salanueva, Efisio Mattana, Michael Way, Elena Castillo-Lorenzo, Patricia D. Dávila-Aranda, Rafael Lira-Saade, Oswaldo Téllez-Valdés, Norma I. Rodríguez-Arévalo, Cesar M. Flores-Ortiz and Tiziana Ulian
Plants 2023, 12(1), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12010150 - 28 Dec 2022
Viewed by 2208
Abstract
Cedrela odorata is a native tree of economic importance, as its wood is highly demanded in the international market. In this work, the current and future distributions of C. odorata in Mexico under climate change scenarios were analyzed according to their optimal temperature [...] Read more.
Cedrela odorata is a native tree of economic importance, as its wood is highly demanded in the international market. In this work, the current and future distributions of C. odorata in Mexico under climate change scenarios were analyzed according to their optimal temperature ranges for seed germination. For the present distribution, 256 localities of the species’ presence were obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) database and modelled with MaxEnt. For the potential distribution, the National Center for Atmospheric Research model (CCSM4) was used under conservative and drastic scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 Watts/m2, respectively) for the intermediate future (2050) and far future (2070). Potential distribution models were built from occurrence data within the optimum germination temperature range of the species. The potential distribution expanded by 5 and 7.8% in the intermediate and far future, respectively, compared with the current distribution. With the increase in temperature, adequate environmental conditions for the species distribution should be met in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato. The states of Chihuahua, Mexico, Morelos, Guerrero, and Durango presented a negative trend in potential distribution. Additionally, in the far future, the state of Chihuahua it is likely to not have adequate conditions for the presence of the species. For the prediction of the models, the precipitation variable during the driest month presented the greatest contribution. When the humidity is not limiting, the thermal climatic variables are the most important ones. Models based on its thermal niche for seed germination allowed for the identification of areas where temperature will positively affect seed germination, which will help maximize the establishment of plant populations and adaptation to different climate change scenarios. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Seed Physiology)
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