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Physiological and Biochemical Changes during Seed Germination of Critically Endangered Plant Syndiclis anlungensis
HUANGLang, CHENRui, YANGRunmei
Chin Agric Sci Bull ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (12) : 78-85.
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Abbreviation (ISO4): Chin Agric Sci Bull
Editor in chief: Yulong YIN
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Physiological and Biochemical Changes during Seed Germination of Critically Endangered Plant Syndiclis anlungensis
Syndiclis anlungensis is an critically endangered plant endemic to Guizhou, China. Its natural regeneration is difficult and the seed germination rate is extremely low. The physiological and biochemical mechanism of germination is still unclear. To investigate the germination mechanism of Syndiclis anlungensis seeds and provide a theoretical basis for its germplasm conservation and artificial propagation, this study used seeds of S. anlungensis as experimental materials. Eleven physiological and biochemical indicators, including soluble sugar (SS), starch (ST), soluble protein (SP), the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), α-amylase and β-amylase, as well as the contents of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA3), were determined at five germination stages using anthrone colorimetric method, Coomassie brilliant blue staining, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and other methods. The results showed that during seed germination, the ST content continuously and significantly decreased (a reduction of 60.68%), the SS content increased rapidly at the early germination stage and then tended to stabilize, while the SP content increased rapidly at the early germination stage and then gradually declined. Enzyme activities exhibited regular changes, in which SOD and POD activities significantly increased at the early germination stage, CAT activity continuously decreased, and the activities of α-amylase and β-amylase fluctuated slightly. Changes in endogenous hormone contents revealed that ABA content significantly decreased during dormancy release (from 17.66 ng/g to 2.18 ng/g), IAA showed an overall upward trend, and GA3 did not change significantly. Further analysis showed that the IAA/ABA and GA3/ABA ratios significantly increased after the S3 stage (radicle and hypocotyl development stage), indicating that this stage is a critical turning point for hormone balance regulation. Correlation analysis indicated that the germination process was highly significantly negatively correlated with ST content, ABA content, GA3 content and CAT activity (P<0.01), and significantly positively correlated with IAA content (P<0.05). In summary, the germination of S. anlungensis seeds relies on starch degradation as the main energy source; SOD and POD play positive regulatory roles in dormancy release; the decrease in ABA content is the key to breaking germination inhibition; and IAA plays an important role in the radicle and hypocotyl development stage. The S3 stage is a critical node for hormone balance regulation, and the synergistic interaction of nutrient metabolism, enzyme activities and hormone networks ensures the successful germination of the seeds. In this study, the physiological mechanism of its germination is clarified. In the future, artificial propagation research can be carried out in combination with exogenous hormone treatment and molecular regulation technology.
Syndiclis anlungensis / critically endangered plant / seed germination / storage substances / enzyme activities / endogenous hormones / physiological and biochemical mechanism
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【目的】探究紫楠(Phoebe sheareri)种子层积过程中营养物质、酶活性和内源激素的动态变化,揭示种子解除休眠过程中的内在生理机制,为其休眠解除与促进萌发提供理论依据。【方法】以新鲜饱满的紫楠种子为试验材料,采用低温和变温层积处理,测定层积过程中的生理生化指标。【结果】层积处理能解除紫楠种子休眠,低温和变温层积处理的发芽率分别为85.83%、72.75%。紫楠种子中初始淀粉含量为467.88 mg/g,在层积过程中逐渐下降。可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白和粗脂肪均被不同程度地分解。淀粉酶、酸性磷酸酶(APA)和过氧化物酶(POD)活性均不断增强。在整个层积过程中生长素(IAA)、异戊烯基腺苷(IPA)、赤霉素(GA<sub>3</sub>)含量不断增加,脱落酸(ABA)含量逐渐减少,IAA/ABA(质量比,下同)、IPA/ABA、GA<sub>3</sub>/ABA不断增大。【结论】紫楠种子是中度休眠的种子,低温层积是加快紫楠种子萌发的较好方式。紫楠种子最主要的贮藏物质为淀粉,营养物质的转化与内源激素的协调作用均对紫楠种子休眠的解除起重要作用。
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