College of Agriculture, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ)
Abstract
The adaptive significance of proline (Pm) accumulation in cotton seeds can be assessed by determining if NaCl tolerance is influenced by changes in the Pm level of the seed. The objective of this study was to determine if exogenous L-Pro and D-Pro reduce NaCl inhibition of radicle growth of germinating cotton seeds. Seeds were imbibed for 24 h at 32°C before transfer to agar medium containing either Pro, NaCl or mixtures of both. Results indicate that exogenous Pro increases the Pro contents of cotton seed radicles and cotyledons to a similar extent. Such increases are independent of whether L- or D-Pro is fed exogenously. Results also show that exogenous Pro does not significantly reduce NaCl inhibition of radicle growth in germinating cotton seeds.
