The seed response to hydropriming in model legume Medicago truncatula: proteomic analysis

Seed quality is an important trait, beneficial to the agronomic industries to improve crop yield. High-quality seeds are well equipped to respond to various environmental stresses. Seed priming is a pre-sowing technique where the seeds are hydrated in controlled conditions in order to boost the pre-germinative metabolism of the seed. Uptake of water leads to activation of various metabolic pathways in the seeds, leading to production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with deleterious effects, namely oxidative damage and genotoxic stress, that compromise seed viability. It is very important to correct these damages before seeds proceed to the germination phase. Antioxidant mechanisms and DNA damage repair machinery are activated during the pre-germinative metabolism, ensuring ROS scavenging and genome stability. Seed priming is performed through rehydration-dehydration cycles which prepares the seeds for faster and synchronised germination and improved stress response. During the priming protocol it is very crucial to stop rehydration before radicle protrusion, otherwise seeds loose their desiccation tolerance and won’t survive. Present priming protocols are empirical and we have limited knowledge about the molecular mechanisms that take place during the treatment. The investigation carried out in this study, using a proteomic approach, allowed to identify proteins that could play key roles in improving seed quality and represent potential hallmarks of enhanced seed quality in hydroprimed Medicago truncatula seeds.

Risposta all'idropriming in semi della leguminosa modello Medicago truncatula: analisi proteomica