Canadian Forest Service Publications
Induction of tolerance to desiccation and cryopreservation in silver maple (Acer saccharinum) embryonic axes. 2005. Beardmore, T.; Whittle, C.A. Tree Physiology 25: 965-972.
Year: 2005
Issued by: Atlantic Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 25480
Language: English
Availability: Order paper copy (free)
Abstract
Twenty percent of the world's flowering plants produce recalcitrant seeds (i.e., seeds that cannot withstand drying or freezing). We investigated whether the embryonic axis from the normally recalcitrant seeds of silver maple (Acer saccharinum L.) can be made tolerant to desiccation (10% water content) and low temperature (-196 C, cryopreservation) by pretreatment with ABA or the compound tetcyclacis, which enhances endogenous ABA concentrations. Pretreatment of axes with both ABA and tetcyclacis increased germination after desiccation and freezing to 55% from a control value of zero. Pretreatment of axes with ABA and tetcyclacis increased the ABA content of the axes, as measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay, and stimulated the synthesis of storage and dehydrin-like proteins, believed to have a role in the desiccation tolerance of orthodox seeds.