Seed imbibition and germination of Plathymenia reticulata Benth. (Fabaceae) affected by mercury: possible role of aquaporins
| Autor: | Amanda Ávila Cardoso, Eduardo Euclydes de Lima e Borges, Genaina Aparecida de Souza, Cristiane Jovelina da Silva, Raquel Maria de Oliveira Pires, Denise Cunha Fernandes dos Santos Dias |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2015 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Acta Botânica Brasílica, Vol 29, Iss 3, Pp 285-291 (2015) |
| Druh dokumentu: | article |
| ISSN: | 1677-941X 0102-3306 |
| DOI: | 10.1590/0102-33062014abb0038 |
| Popis: | ABSTRACTStudies that evaluate the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of germination within forest species are needed in order to improve our understanding of such processes. Mercury and dithiothreitol are indicated as important tools in studies that assess the activity of aquaporins during imbibition and germination of seeds. To investigate the alterations caused by mercury inPlathymenia reticulata seedsdifferent doses of mercury were used in the presence and absence of dithiothreitol. Mercury had a dose-dependent effect on the seeds; in the most dilute solutions mercury partially inhibited the imbibition process, whereas in the most concentrated solutions it caused the death of the embryos. A delay in the hydration of the seeds may have caused decreased germination as a result of the reduced functionality of the aquaporins that were oxidized by mercury. In the presence of the reducing agent dithiothreitol, the activity of these proteins was restored and the germination process was re-established. These findings indicate the importance of aquaporins in the imbibition and germination stages of P. reticulataseeds, and they provide a better understanding of these important developmental events in plants. |
| Databáze: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
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