Abstract
Seed ageing is a complex process and can be described as the loss of viability or quality with time. It is important to elucidate whether genetic and epigenetic stability is altered in stored seeds and in seedlings produced from them. Non-stored and stored rye seeds at different stages of ageing were compared, as well as the seedlings obtained from them. Seeds were stored at 35 °C and 15% water content, under vacuum or air atmosphere. DNA of seeds and seedlings was isolated at three stages of the deterioration curve: P75 (13 days), P20 (29 days), and P0 (36 days). Genetic stability was assessed by RAPD technique, and epigenetic changes by MSAP markers. While seeds showed genetic stability after storage, the similarity of seedlings obtained from seeds stored for 29 days was lower (95%) when compared to seedlings from control seeds. Epigenetic changes were between 15% and 30% (both de novo methylation and demethylation) in the stored seeds compared to control seeds, with no differences between 13 and 29 days of storage with either air or vacuum atmospheres. In seedlings, epigenetic changes significantly increased with storage time. In conclusion, ageing increased epigenetic instability in both seeds and seedlings, when compared to controls.
Highlights
Seed ageing is a complex process that can be described as the loss of viability or quality with time.Even if stored under optimal conditions, seeds age losing vigour and viability [1,2]
Seed viability decreased with storage time following the characteristic reverse-sigmoidal time course, which starts with an initial asymptomatic stage, characterized as the time for germination to decrease to 75% (P75), and concludes with rapid loss in seed viability, marked by the P20 parameter (Figure 1)
Genetic and epigenetic stability was evaluated from stored seeds, analyzed immediately after opening the storage bag, and in imbibed seeds after storage, at different stages of the ageing sigmoidal time course: P75 (13 days), P20 (29 days) and P0 (36 days)
Summary
Seed ageing is a complex process that can be described as the loss of viability or quality with time. Even if stored under optimal conditions, seeds age losing vigour and viability [1,2]. This can cause important losses for both agronomic production and germplasm banks. ROS can induce geno-toxicity in seeds during storage that would compromise molecular stability, including DNA damage during ageing and the activation of different repair pathways after imbibition [10,11]. Structural damage, single and double strand DNA breaks, or accumulation of point mutations have been reported in ageing seeds [12,13]. The presence of genetic alterations due to seed ageing in the resulting plants has not been studied in depth
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