Seeds of the common ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) germinate in distinct sub-populations over a time period of more than 4 weeks following imbibition. Distinguishing early (E)- and late (L)-germinating seeds is the expression of a homologue of the transcriptional activator VP1. The deduced amino acid sequence of ice plant VP1 (MVP1) is 39% identical (50% similar) to the sequence of t...

The interspecific hybrid fir Abies cilicica × Abies cephalonica is based on native species Abies cephalonica (Loud.) and Abies cilicica (Ant. et Kotschy) Carr. Many variants of nutrient media have been tested. The medium BAP at a concentration of 1 mg·l–1, 1,000 mg·l–1 myo-inositol, 500 mg·l–1 glutamine, and 1,000 mg·l–1 casein was found to be the most suitable initiation medium for somatic emb...

Immature seeds of Phaseolus vulgaris removed from the pod at 32 days of development do not germinate unless first subjected to a desiccation treatment. This change from development to germination caused by premature drying is mirrored in the pattern of protein synthesis by the axes. Rehydrated axes from 32-day-developed seeds cease to synthesize proteins that are uniquely associated with develo...

Immature seeds can acquire the traits of desiccation tolerance and germination after precocious maturation. This process is associated with the accumulation of non-reducing sugars and late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins. LEA proteins were first identified from late developmental seeds and were proposed to be associated with desiccation tolerance. In the present study, we examined whether...

During oil deposition in developing seeds of Arabidopsis, photosynthate is imported in the form of carbohydrates into the embryo and converted to triacylglycerols. To identify genes essential for this process and to investigate the molecular basis for the developmental regulation of oil accumulation, mutants producing wrinkled, incompletely filled seeds were isolated. A novel mutant locus, wrin...

The MYB family of transcription factors is important in regulatory networks controlling development, metabolism and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses in Arabidopsis. However, their role in regulating fatty acid accumulation in seeds is still largely unclear. Here, we found that MYB76, localized in the nucleus, was predominantly expressed in developing seeds during maturation. The myb76 m...

This is the first record of Acanthoscelides schrankiae Horn. feeding in seeds of Mimosa bimucronata (DC.) Kuntze. We investigated the pattern of oviposition and seed exploitation by A. schrankiae, and the distribution of mature fruits and seed predation in the inflorescences. We also compared the percentage of predated seeds, the total dry weight of fruits and non-predated seeds, the percentage...

Mimosine [α-amino-β-(3-hydroxy-4-oxo-1,4-dihydropyridin-1-yl)-propanoic acid] is a major constituent of Leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala de Wit) and responsible for the strong allelopathic potential of the legume tree. Mimosine showed strong herbicidal activities on six plants in a bioassay. All plant parts of Leucaena contain mimosine. The quantity of mimosine in the young leaves and mature see...

Fungus-subsidized growth through the seedling stage is the most critical feature of the life history for the thousands of mycorrhizal plant species that propagate by means of 'dust seeds.' We investigated the extent of specificity towards fungi shown by orchids in the genera Cephalanthera and Epipactis at three stages of their life cycle: (i) initiation of germination, (ii) during seedling deve...

The efficacy of chlorine and hot water treatments in killing Salmonella stanley inoculated onto alfalfa seeds was determined. Treatment of seeds containing 10(2) to 10(3) CFU/g in 100-micrograms/ml active chlorine solution for 5 or 10 min caused a significant (P < or = 0.05) reduction in population, and treatment in 290-micrograms/ml chlorine solution resulted in a significant reduction compare...