19 research outputs found
Phytohormone balance and stress-related cellular responses are involved in the transition from bud to shoot growth in leafy spurge
Effects of stem girdling on cone yield and endogenous phytohormones and metabolites in developing long shoots of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Analysis of Phytohormone Profiles during Male and Female Cone Initiation and Early Differentiation in Long-shoot Buds of Lodgepole Pine
Effects of stem-injected gibberellins and 6-benzylaminopurine on phytohormone profiles and cone yield in two lodgepole pine genotypes
Burning vegetation produces cyanohydrins that liberate cyanide and stimulate seed germination
Cyanide is well known for its toxicity towards living organisms. Many plants use cyanide as a defensive agent against herbivores, releasing it through the enzymatic hydrolysis of endogenous cyanogenic compounds. At low concentrations, cyanide has been proposed to have a regulatory role in many plant processes including stimulation of seed germination. However, no ecological role for cyanide in seed germination has been established. In the present study, we show that burning plant material produces the cyanohydrin, glyceronitrile. We also show that, in the presence of water, glyceronitrile is slowly hydrolysed to release cyanide that stimulates seed germination of a diverse range of fire-responsive species from different continents. We propose that glyceronitrile serves as an ecological store for cyanide and is an important cue for stimulating seed germination and landscape regeneration after fires