Effects of osmotic preconditioning on nuclear replication activity in seeds of pepper (Capsicum annuum)

Abstract

Flow cytometric determination of nuclear DNA contents in embryos of dry, fully matured pepper seeds revealed only 2C signals. Therefore, pepper belongs to those species in which the quiescent embryo arrests nuclear division in the presynthetic G1 phase. In whole seeds, two other peaks were observed which corresponded with the 3C and 6C DNA content and originated from the triploid endosperm. After 36 to 48 h of imbibition in water (48 to 60 h before visible germination), a rise in the 4C signal was observed in the root tip of the embryo.Osmotic preconditioning (priming) of pepper seeds for 7, 14 or 21 days in polyethylene glycol (PEG) or KNO3+ K3PO4 considerably reduced the time to 50%; germination (t50) and the mean germination time, and the effect was proportional to the duration of the priming treatments. An induction of the 4C signal was firstly observed after 10 days osmopriming in either PEG or KNO3+ K3PO4. For both priming methods, a positive correlation was found between the efficiency of the treatment to reduce the mean germination time, and the induction of DNA synthesis, measured as the amount of 4C versus 2C, at 12 h before radicle protrusion. Apart from the quantitative effect, there was also a temporal influence of priming on DNA synthetic activity. When primed seeds were subsequently imbibed in water, the induction of DNA synthesis started about 12 h earlier than in untreated seeds. This was also found for seeds primed for 7 days, when no induction of DNA synthesis had yet occurred. Apparently, during priming of pepper seeds there is a lag period of 9 days in which physiological processes other than DNA synthesis can take place. These processes sustain a rapid inception of nuclear replicative activity upon imbibition. By comparing the relative nuclear DNA contents of dry, imbibed and primed seeds, we provide information about the relation between the percentage of cells in seeds which have entered the replication stage of nuclear division, and germination performance.