Physiological profiling of embryos and dormant seeds in two Arabidopsis accessions reveals a metabolic switch in carbon reserve accumulation
- In flowering plants, sugars act as carbon sources providing energy for developing embryos and seeds. Although most studies focus on carbon metabolism in whole seeds, knowledge about how particular sugars contribute to the developmental transitions during embryogenesis is scarce. To develop a quantitative understanding of how carbon composition changes during embryo development, and to determine how sugar status contributes to final seed or embryo size, we performed metabolic profiling of hand-dissected embryos at late torpedo and mature stages, and dormant seeds, in two Arabidopsis thaliana accessions with medium [Columbia-0 (Col-0)] and large [Burren-0 (Bur-0)] seed sizes, respectively. Our results show that, in both accessions, metabolite profiles of embryos largely differ from those of dormant seeds. We found that developmental transitions from torpedo to mature embryos, and further to dormant seeds, are associated with major metabolic switches in carbon reserve accumulation. While glucose, sucrose, and starch predominantlyIn flowering plants, sugars act as carbon sources providing energy for developing embryos and seeds. Although most studies focus on carbon metabolism in whole seeds, knowledge about how particular sugars contribute to the developmental transitions during embryogenesis is scarce. To develop a quantitative understanding of how carbon composition changes during embryo development, and to determine how sugar status contributes to final seed or embryo size, we performed metabolic profiling of hand-dissected embryos at late torpedo and mature stages, and dormant seeds, in two Arabidopsis thaliana accessions with medium [Columbia-0 (Col-0)] and large [Burren-0 (Bur-0)] seed sizes, respectively. Our results show that, in both accessions, metabolite profiles of embryos largely differ from those of dormant seeds. We found that developmental transitions from torpedo to mature embryos, and further to dormant seeds, are associated with major metabolic switches in carbon reserve accumulation. While glucose, sucrose, and starch predominantly accumulated during seed dormancy, fructose levels were strongly elevated in mature embryos. Interestingly, Bur-0 seeds contain larger mature embryos than Col-0 seeds. Fructose and starch were accumulated to significantly higher levels in mature Bur-0 than Col-0 embryos, suggesting that they contribute to the enlarged mature Bur-0 embryos. Furthermore, we found that Bur-0 embryos accumulated a higher level of sucrose compared to hexose sugars and that changes in sucrose metabolism are mediated by sucrose synthase (SUS), with SUS genes acting non-redundantly, and in a tissue-specific manner to utilize sucrose during late embryogenesis.…
Author details: | Catalina Moreno CurtidorORCiDGND, Maria Grazia AnnunziataORCiD, Saurabh GuptaORCiDGND, Federico ApeltORCiDGND, Sarah Isabel RichardORCiDGND, Friedrich KraglerORCiD, Bernd Müller-RöberORCiDGND, Justyna Jadwiga OlasORCiDGND |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.588433 |
ISSN: | 1664-462X |
Pubmed ID: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33343596 |
Title of parent work (English): | Frontiers in plant science |
Publisher: | Frontiers Media |
Place of publishing: | Lausanne |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of first publication: | 2020/12/02 |
Publication year: | 2020 |
Release date: | 2023/03/27 |
Tag: | carbon; embryo development; hexoses; metabolites; sucrose; synthase |
Volume: | 11 |
Article number: | 588433 |
Number of pages: | 14 |
Funding institution: | Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)German Research Foundation (DFG); Max Planck SocietyMax Planck SocietyFoundation CELLEX; International Max; Planck Research School "Primary Metabolism and Plant Growth"; (IMPRS-PMPG) of the University of Potsdam; International Max Planck; Research School "Primary Metabolism and Plant Growth" (IMPRS-PMPG) of; the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiolog; European Research; Council (ERC), Syg ProjectEuropean Research Council (ERC) [810131] |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Biochemie und Biologie |
DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie |
Peer review: | Referiert |
Publishing method: | Open Access / Gold Open-Access |
License (German): | CC-BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International |