1 research outputs found
Morphological analysis of seed shape in Arabidopsis thaliana reveals altered polarity in mutants of the ethylene signaling pathway
The shape of Arabidopsis thaliana dry seed is described here as a prolate spheroid.
The accuracy of this approximation is discussed. Considering its limitations, it allows
a geometric approximation to the analysis of changes occurring in seed shape during
imbibition prior to seed germination as well as the differences in shape between
genotypes and their changes during imbibition. The triple mutant ein2-1, ers1-2,
etr1-7 presents notable alterations in seed shape. In addition, seeds of this and other
mutants in the ethylene signaling pathway (ctr1-1, eto1-1, etr1-1, ein2-1) show
different response to imbibition than the wild type. Imbibed seeds of the wild type
increase their asymmetry compared with the dry seeds. This is detected by the
relative changes in the curvature values in both poles. Thus, during imbibition of the
wild-type seeds, the reduction in curvature values observed in the basal pole gives
them an ovoid shape. In contrast, in the seeds of the ethylene mutants, reduction in
curvature values occurs in both basal and apical poles, and its shape remains as a
prolate spheroid. Our data indicate that the ethylene signaling pathway is involved,
in general, in the complex regulation of seed shape and, in particular, in the
establishment of polarity in seeds, controlling curvature values in the seed poles.Peer reviewe