Abstract
Apples (Pyrus malus L. cv. Golden Delicious) were kept at 0°C (temperature favourable for removal of embryo dormancy), and at 12 or 35°C (conditions inducing freezing resistance). At different intervals seeds were sampled, and germinability and survival to rapid freezing (‐7°C for 30 min) in embryos were determined. Lipids from embryos of the same samples were extracted and separated into triacylglycerol, diacylglycerol and polar lipid fractions. Certain fatty acids were then quantified in all fractions. Low temperature (0°C) of fruit storage promoted temporary accumulation of only tri‐ and diacylglycerols, whereas 12 and 35°C treatments resulted in an increase solely of polar lipid content. These relations were confirmed in experiments with transfer of fruits from one temperature of storage to another. Changes in the levels of certain fatty acids followed the pattern of total lipids of the three main classes. Together with earlier data, the results suggest that the changes in reserve lipids are related to the dormancy status of the embryo, whereas the changes in polar lipids reflect the resistance to rapid freezing.
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