Adaptive Reprogramming During Early Seed Germination Requires Temporarily Enhanced Fermentation-A Critical Role for...

Area of Science:

• Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology
• Ecology and Environmental Science
• Agricultural Science

Background:

• Plants adapt to environmental changes through cell reprogramming, impacting ecosystem function.
• The plant holobiont, including its microbiota, requires metabolic adjustments for survival.
• Oxygen-dependent respiration is vital for plant development, but fermentation and alternative oxidase (AOX) play underappreciated roles in acclimation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of exogenous sucrose and its interaction with AOX in early seed germination.
• To understand how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) influence seed responses to sucrose stress.
• To propose a method for identifying organic seeds and predicting plant holobiont behavior.

Main Methods:

• Examined the effects of exogenous sucrose on seed germination and fermentation.
• Assessed the expression and activity of alternative oxidase (AOX) during early germination.
• Investigated the impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation on seeds under sucrose stress.

Main Results:

• Sucrose-dependent fermentation in the first 12 hours after imbibition (HAI) promoted germination.
• Upregulated AOX expression was essential to mitigate negative effects of prolonged sucrose treatment.
• AMF-inoculated seeds more efficiently buffered sucrose stress, restoring normal respiration and improving germination.

Conclusions:

• AOX plays a critical role in regulating sucrose-induced metabolic adjustments during seed germination.
• AMF inoculation can enhance seed resilience to sucrose stress, offering a potential strategy for improving germination.
• AOX serves as a functional marker for seed hologenomes, with implications for identifying organic seeds and disease tolerance.