biologia plantarum

International journal on Plant Life established by Bohumil Nìmec in 1959

Biologia plantarum 52:660-667, 2008 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-008-0128-y

Dormancy and germination in wheat embryos: ribonucleases and hormonal control

C. Spanò1,*, R. Buselli1, I. Grilli1
1 Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy

Acidic and neutral ribonucleases (RNases) were studied in embryos of Triticum durum cv. Cappelli and the effects of abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA3) were analysed. RNases activities increased during germination and were comparable in dormant and non-dormant embryos imbibed for 24 h. ABA generally inhibited ribonucleolytic activities, while GA3 only affected dormant embryos. To assess whether changes in RNase activities during germination or following hormonal treatment required new transcriptional or translational action, cycloheximide or cordycepin were used. The action of inhibitors of acidic RNase activity was found only in non-dormant-embryos. Findings obtained in the present work concur with a change of the ribonucleolytic pattern in the shift from dormant to non dormant metabolism.

Keywords: abscisic acid; cordycepin; cycloheximide; gibberellic acid
Subjects: abscisic acid (ABA); gibberellic acid, gibberellins; in vitro culture, somatic embryogenesis; ribonuclease; RNAase; Triticum durum; wheat

Received: January 11, 2007; Accepted: July 5, 2007; Published: December 1, 2008  Show citation

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Spanò, C., Buselli, R., & Grilli, I. (2008). Dormancy and germination in wheat embryos: ribonucleases and hormonal control. Biologia plantarum, 52(4), 660-667. doi: 10.1007/s10535-008-0128-y
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