Rj. Bino et al., COMPARISON OF NUCLEAR REPLICATION ACTIVITY AND PROTEIN EXPRESSION PATTERNS DURING TOMATO SEED-GERMINATION, Field crops research, 45(1-3), 1996, pp. 71-77
Flow cytometric determination of DNA amounts in embryos of fully matur
ed dry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) seeds revealed mainly 2C
signals. Apparently, most embryonic cells had arrested the cell cycle
activity during maturation at the presynthetic G(1) phase of nuclear
division. During Imbibition of tomato seeds, both in water and in PEG
solution, an augmentation in the 4C signal of tissues at the embryonic
root tip region occurred. This increase was found to be related to ce
lls entering the synthetic phase of nuclear division leading to a doub
ling of the chromosomal material. In the root tip cells, 4C/2C ratios
rose 1 day after imbibition in water while radicle emergence started 2
days later. Apparently, DNA synthesis preceded germination. The induc
tion of nuclear activities was compared with changes in protein expres
sion patterns during seed imbibition. Using chemiluminescent immunodet
ection after Western blotting, we identified changes in beta-tubulin e
xpression during germination and priming of tomato seeds. Tubulin was
found to be synthesized 8 h after the start of imbibition both in wate
r and in PEG. The start of tubulin synthesis considerably preceded DNA
replication, cell division and germination, The induction of cell cyc
le activities may be an early indicator of the initiation of cell divi
sion and the start of germination.