caa a22 4500 445841206 CHVBK 20180317145344.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170323e20110101xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10725-010-9512-7 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10725-010-9512-7 Inter-nucleosomal DNA fragmentation and loss of RNA integrity during seed ageing [Elektronische Daten] [Ilse Kranner, Hongying Chen, Hugh Pritchard, Stephen Pearce, Simona Birtić] The germination of viable seeds is the basis for new plant growth and development. Seeds lose viability during storage, but the biochemical mechanisms of seed death are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate degradation patterns of nucleic acids during seed ageing and subsequent water uptake. Seeds of Pisum sativum L. were artificially aged at 50°C and 12% seed water content (WC). Nucleic acids degradation was studied during ageing and during imbibition of four seed lots with differential viability from highly viable to dead. As seeds lost viability during ageing, DNA was gradually degraded into internucleosomal fragments, resulting in ‘DNA laddering', in conjunction with disintegration of 18S and 28S rRNA bands. During imbibition, non-aged controls had high levels of DNA and RNA integrity through to radicle protrusion. In an aged seed lot with 85% total germination (TG) DNA fragmentation decreased upon imbibition probably due to nucleosome degradation, while rRNA integrity did not improve. In an aged seed lot with 44% TG, neither DNA nor rRNA integrity improved upon imbibition. Dead seeds showed DNA degradation as laddering throughout imbibition along with extensive degradation of rRNA. We present a model in which interlinked programmed and non-programmed events contribute to seed ageing, and suggest that protection of nucleic acids during ageing is key to seed longevity. Springer Science+Business Media B.V., 2010 Ageing nationallicence DNA nationallicence Pisum sativum nationallicence Programmed cell death nationallicence RNA nationallicence Seed nationallicence Kranner Ilse Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, RH17 6TN, West Sussex, UK aut Chen Hongying Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, RH17 6TN, West Sussex, UK aut Pritchard Hugh Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, RH17 6TN, West Sussex, UK aut Pearce Stephen School of Life-Sciences, University of Sussex, BN1 9QG, Brighton, East Sussex, UK aut Birtić Simona Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, RH17 6TN, West Sussex, UK aut Plant Growth Regulation Springer Netherlands 63/1(2011-01-01), 63-72 0167-6903 63:1<63 2011 63 10725 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-010-9512-7 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-010-9512-7 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Kranner Ilse Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, RH17 6TN, West Sussex, UK aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Chen Hongying Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, RH17 6TN, West Sussex, UK aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Pritchard Hugh Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, RH17 6TN, West Sussex, UK aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Pearce Stephen School of Life-Sciences, University of Sussex, BN1 9QG, Brighton, East Sussex, UK aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Birtić Simona Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, RH17 6TN, West Sussex, UK aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Plant Growth Regulation Springer Netherlands 63/1(2011-01-01), 63-72 0167-6903 63:1<63 2011 63 10725 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer