A variety of mechanisms have been proposed to account for the extension of life span in seeds (seed longevity). In this work, we used Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seeds as a model and carried out differential proteomics to investigate this trait, which is of both ecological and agricultural importance. In our system based on a controlled deterioration treatment (CDT), we compared seed sam...

Scatter-hoarding rodents play an important dispersal role for many large-seeded plants. Seed traits affect their foraging behavior; however, it is difficult to isolate their effects because of the covariance among traits. Here, we used artificial seeds to partition the effects of seed size, tannin content, and nutrient content on scatter-hoarding rodents in a natural pine forest in Northwest Yu...

Scatter-hoarding rodents are known to play a crucial role in the seed dispersal of many plant species. Numerous studies have indicated that both seed size and the energy content of seeds can affect rodent foraging behavior. However, seed size is usually associated with energy content per seed, making it difficult to isolate how seed size and energy affect rodent foraging preferences. This study...

An attempt was made to identify the olfactory cues produced by Douglas-fir seeds which attract deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) to the seeds. The olfactometers used are described, and the merits of different statistical analyses of the data are discussed. The odors produced by whole Douglas-fir seed and by the endosperm were preferred among the fractions tested to date. Deer mice were repelle...

Abstract Distribution of seeds an invasive species is important for the spread invasion and any directed eradication action. This distribution driven by seed rain. We studied influence tussocks on spatial pattern rain resulting population Antarctic Poa annua L. population. Our hypothesis was that trap wind-dispersed seeds. set 40 artificial grass traps simulating soil (control) in area occupied...

Polyamines (PAs) are small aliphatic polycations that are found ubiquitously in all organisms. In plants, PAs are involved in diverse biological processes such as growth, development, and stress responses. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the arginine decarboxylase enzymes (ADC1 and 2) catalyze the first step of PA biosynthesis. For a better understanding of PA biological functions, mutants in PA biosy...

Long dormancy period of seeds limits the large-scale artificial cultivation of the scarce Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis, an important traditional Chinese medicine. Characterizing miRNAs and their targets is crucial to understanding the role of miRNAs during seed dormancy in this species. Considering the limited genome information of this species, we first sequenced and assembled the transcr...

The oil contents and fatty acid (FA) compositions of ten new and one wild Camellia oleifera varieties were investigated. Oil contents in camellia seeds from new C. oleifera varied with cultivars from 41.92% to 53.30% and were affected by cultivation place. Average oil content (47.83%) of dry seeds from all ten new cultivars was almost the same as that of wild common C. oleifera seeds (47.06%). ...