Jjj. Ooms et al., CARBOHYDRATES ARE NOT THE SOLE FACTOR DETERMINING DESICCATION TOLERANCE IN SEEDS OF ARABIDOPSIS-THALIANA, Physiologia Plantarum, 90(3), 1994, pp. 431-436
ABA-deficient (aba-1) and ABA-insensitive (abi3-1) double mutant seeds
of Arabidopsis thaliana are desiccation-intolerant. Carbohydrates are
supposed to fulfill a role in membrane protection during dehydration.
Desiccation tolerance can be induced in double mutant seeds in vivo b
y supplying the ABA-analog LAB 173 71 1 to the plant root system. Howe
ver, this does not lead to significant changes in the carbohydrate com
position. In contrast, in vitro incubation of dissected immature seeds
with ABA induced desiccation tolerance concomitant with an increase i
n the seed raffinose content. Thus, different desiccation tolerance-in
ducing treatments show contradictory effects on seed carbohydrate comp
osition and accumulation. It is concluded that, although carbohydrates
might be involved in membrane protection or glass formation during de
hydration, it is unlikely that they are the sole factor determining de
siccation tolerance in Arabidopsis seeds.