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Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) female gametophyte and embryo pH changes during seed development
Gerald S Pullman1, Shannon Johnson
1School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0620, USA. jerry.pullman@ipst.gatech.edu
Tree Physiology
|April 15, 2009
Summary
Female gametophyte and embryo pH in loblolly pine seeds change during development. Optimizing medium pH using 2(n-morpholino)ethanesulphonic acid improved embryogenic tissue initiation and embryo yields.
Area of Science:
- Plant reproductive biology
- Biochemistry
- Agricultural science
Background:
- Understanding the physiological conditions during seed development is crucial for improving propagation techniques.
- Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) is a commercially important timber species, and efficient methods for its propagation are highly sought after.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure stage-specific pH changes in the female gametophyte (FG) and embryo of loblolly pine seeds during development.
- To investigate the impact of pH on embryogenic tissue initiation and cotyledonary embryo yields.
Main Methods:
- Stage-specific pH measurements were conducted on loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seeds using pH probes.
- Experiments were performed to test the effect of adjusting maturation medium pH with 2(n-morpholino)ethanesulphonic acid on embryogenic tissue initiation.
Main Results:
- Female gametophyte (FG) pH varied from 5.5 to 6.5 during seed development, with slight differences between chalazal and micropylar ends.
- Embryo pH remained relatively constant, around 7.0, throughout seed development.
- Increasing maturation medium pH from 5.3 to 5.5-5.7 significantly increased cotyledonary embryo yields.
Conclusions:
- pH dynamics during loblolly pine seed development are distinct between FG and embryo tissues.
- Optimizing the pH of maturation media is a key factor in enhancing embryogenic tissue initiation and improving somatic embryogenesis success in loblolly pine.
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