Seed Biology : Advances and Applications: Proceedings of the Sixth International Workshop on Seeds, Mérida, México, 1999

Substantial progress has been made in seed science during the past few years, emphasizing the important role seed biology plays in advancing plant biotechnology agriculture and plant resource management and conservation. This book contains edited and revised papers from the 6th International Workshop on Seeds held in Mexico in January 1999 and describes the current status of seed research and technology. CABI Publishing Contributors 12 Preface 20 I Opening Presentations 22 1 Travels with Seeds: a Cartography of Seed Science 24 2 Protein Synthesis in Seed Germination: Connecting External Cell Signals with the Ribosome 32 II Development and Quality 46 3 bZIP and DOF Transcription Factors in the Regulation of Gene Expression in Barley Endosperm 48 4 Impact of Amphiphile Partitioning on Desiccation Tolerance 64 5 Unravelling the Responses of Metabolism to Dehydration Points to a Role for Cytoplasmic Viscosity in Desiccation Tolerance 78 6 Soluble Sugars in Maturing Pea Seeds of Different Lines in Relation to Desiccation Tolerance 88 7 The Role of Stachyose Synthase in the Oligosaccharide Metabolism of Legume Seeds 96 8 Compartmentation of Abscisic Acid in Developing Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) Seeds 106 9 Involvement of ABA and GAs in the Regulation of Dormancy in Developing Sorghum Seeds 122 10 Irrigation and Seed Quality Development in Rapid-cycling Brassica 134 11 Molecular Genetic Analysis of Arabidopsis Seed Quality 144 12 Analysis of the Cell Cycle in Sugarbeet Seed during Development, Maturation and Germination 154 13 Possible Roles of Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase and Pyruvate Kinase in Assimilate Partitioning in Developing Maize Embryos 162 III Storage and Vigour 170 14 Effects of Seed Ageing on the Enzymic Antioxidant System of Maize Cultivars 172 15 Towards the ex situ Conservation of Aquatic Angiosperms: a Review of Seed Storage Behaviour 182 16 Treatment of Immature Embryos of Maize with Water Reduces their Storability and the Desiccation Tolerance of the Scutellum 200 17 Maillard Reactions Cause Browning in Bean Seed Coats during Ageing: Inhibition by Aminoguanidine 210 18 Effects of Desiccation on the Subcellular Matrix of the Embryonic Axes of Quercus robur 218 19 Loss of Viability in Rye Embryos at Different Levels of Hydration: Senescence with Apoptotic Nucleosome Cleavage or Death with Random DNA Fragmentation 226 20 The Effect of Drying Rate on Recalcitrant Seeds: ‘Lethal Water Contents’, Causes of Damage, and Quantification of Recalcitrance 236 21 Conservation of Genetic Resources Naturally Occurring as Recalcitrant Seeds 244 IV Germination 250 22 Gene Expression Prior to Radicle Emergence in Imbibed Tomato Seeds 252 23 Characterization of Germination-related Genes in Avena fatua seeds 274 24 Cell Cycle Control during Maize Germination 282 25 Recent Advances in ABA-regulated Gene Expression in Cereal Seeds: Evidence for Regulation by PKABA1 Protein Kinase 292 26 Lettuce Endosperm Weakening: a Role for Endo-b-mannanase in Seed Germination at High Temperature* 298 27 Effect of Free Mg2+ on the Kinetics of the Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase from Dry and Hydrated Maize Embryos 308 28 The Barley Scutellar Peptide Transporter: Relationship to Germination and Loss of Seed Viability 318 29 Molecular Cloning and Possible Role of an Asparaginyl Endopeptidase (REP-2) from Germinated Rice Seeds 330 30 Metabolism of Essential Oils during Inhibition of Wheat Seed Germination 336 V Dormancy 342 31 Genetic Model for Dormancy in Wild Oat 344 32 Characterization and Expression of Two Protein Kinase Genes and an EIN3-like Gene, which are Regulated by ABA and GA3 in Dormant Fagus sylvatica Seeds 350 33 Effects of Fusicoccin and Gibberellic Acid on Germination and a-Amylase Expression in Barley Grains 362 34 Smoke and Germination of Arable and Rangeland Weeds 368 VI Ecology 382 35 Intermittent Germination: Causes and Ecological Implications 384 36 Seed Ecology at the Northern Limit of the Tropical Rain Forest in America 396 37 Genotypic and Phenotypic Germination Survival Strategies of Ecotypes and Annual Plant Species in the Negev Desert of Israel 410 38 Hydrothermal Time as a Tool in Comparative Germination Studies 422 39 Emergent Weedy Foxtail (Setaria spp.) Seed Germinability Behaviour 432 VII Applications of Seed Biology 446 40 Biotechnological Applications of Seed Biology 448 41 Manipulating Starch Quality in Seeds: a Genetic Approach 460 42 Identification of Germination-specific Protein Markers and their Use in Seed Priming Technology 470 43 A Critical Assessment of the Role of Oligosaccharides in Intracellular Glass Stability 482 44 Improvement of Tomato Seed Germination by Osmopriming as Related to Energy Metabolism 488 45 Bio-osmopriming Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) Seeds for Improved Seedling Establishment 498 46 Use of Threshold Germination Models under Variable Field Conditions 510 Index 520 9780851994048 This book comprises a selection of edited and revised papers from the 6th International Workshop of Seeds held in Mexico in January 1999. Following the 2 opening presentations, the papers are listed under the following main headings: development and quality (11 papers); storage and vigour (8); germination (9); dormancy (4); ecology (5); and applications of seed biology (7)