Abstract
In the present study, we examined the utility of proline usage as a biochemical indicator of metabolic changes caused by climate change (mean temperature and precipitation) during seed development of two Acer species differing in desiccation tolerance: Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.—desiccation tolerant—orthodox) and sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.—desiccation sensitive—recalcitrant). In plants, proline is an element of the antioxidant system, which has a role in response to water loss and high temperatures. Our study considered whether proline could be treated as an indicator of tree seed viability, crucial for genetic resources conservation. Proline content was measured biweekly in developing seeds (between 11 and 23 weeks after flowering) collected in consecutive years (2017, 2018, and 2019). We showed that proline concentrations in recalcitrant seeds were positively correlated with mean two-week temperature. In contrast, in orthodox seeds no such relationship was found. Proline content proved to be sensitive to thermal-moisture conditions changes, which makes it a promising biochemical marker of seed desiccation tolerance in different climatic conditions.
Highlights
The process of seed development occurs in several different stages, such as the development of seed tissues, storage reserve accumulation, and maturation drying [1]
We confirmed that the orthodox seeds of Norway maple and recalcitrant seeds of sycamore responded to environmental conditions, such as biweekly mean temperature and biweekly mean precipitation (Figures 2–5)
A statistically significant decrease in proline content occurred at 20 weeks after flowering (WAF) in 2018 (Figure 3B)
Summary
The process of seed development occurs in several different stages, such as the development of seed tissues, storage reserve accumulation, and maturation drying [1]. Desiccation is required at the maturation stage of seed development (Figure 1), inducing a dormancy state in which seeds enter a state of quiescence until a favorable environment is found and germination is induced [9,10]. Seeds differ in desiccation tolerance, and these differences occur within families and genera, e.g., maple (Acer). The acquisition of desiccation tolerance of Norway maple (A. platanoides L.) seeds is an adaptive strategy that facilitates survival in unfavorable environmental conditions, which is a characteristic of the orthodox seed category.
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