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Ethylene coordinates seed germination behavior in response to low soil pH in Stylosanthes humilis

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Abstract

Aims

Stylosanthes humilis is known to exhibit high persistence in acid soils, however, how low soil pH controls seed germination as well as root and hypocotyl growth remains unknown. This study was carried out to evaluate the hormonal and metabolic alterations induced by low soil pH on seed germination behavior of S. humilis.

Methods

Seeds of S. humilis were sown in acid soil samples or sand soaked in buffer solution with pH ranging from 4.0 to 7.0. Concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid, ethylene, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), primary metabolite profile and final seed germination were evaluated after four days.

Results

Low soil pH led to increased final seed germination, concomitantly with higher root penetration into the soil as well as higher ACC and ethylene production by seedlings. Treatment with the ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor L-α-(2-aminoethoxyvinyl)-glycine (AVG) greatly reduced final seed germination under acidic conditions. Final seed germination of seeds treated with AVG was increased by exogenous ethylene application in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, low soil pH promoted distinct changes in IAA concentrations, and in carbon and nitrogen metabolism in hypocotyl and roots.

Conclusions

Low soil pH increases the final germination of S. humilis seeds through alterations in ethylene metabolism, allowing root penetration into the soil.

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Abbreviations

ACC:

1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid

AVG:

L-α-(2-aminoethoxyvinyl)-glycine

IAA:

Indole-3-acetic acid

TCA:

Tricarboxylic acid

TIBA:

2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid

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Acknowledgments

Financial support from the Brazilian founding agencies including National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES) and the Foundation for Research Assistance of the Minas Gerais State (FAPEMIG) (Grant APQ-01357-14, RED-00053-16 and APQ-01184-17) is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil

    Ricardo P. Ribeiro, Lucas C. Costa, Eduardo F. Medina, Wagner L. Araújo, Agustín Zsögön & Dimas M. Ribeiro

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  1. Ricardo P. Ribeiro
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  2. Lucas C. Costa
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  3. Eduardo F. Medina
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  4. Wagner L. Araújo
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  5. Agustín Zsögön
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  6. Dimas M. Ribeiro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Agustín Zsögön.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Richard J. Simpson.

Electronic supplementary material

Fig. S1

Time course of germination (a) and ethylene production (b) of S. humilis seeds. Full circle, MacIlvaine solution at pH 7.0 (control); open circle, 1 μM AVG. Data are means ± standard error of three separate experiments, with six replicates each (PPT 126 kb)

Table S1

Physical and Chemical properties of the soils used for seedling growth experiments. Data are means ± standard error of four replicates (DOCX 14 kb)

Table S2

Chemical properties of the soils employed for seedling growth experiments. Data are means ± standard error of four replicates (DOCX 13 kb)

Table S3

Changes in metabolite profiles in hypocotyl and root of seedlings grown in unamended (no lime) and lime-amended soil. Data are normalized with respect to mean response calculated for the control (unamended soil) treatment in each organ. Values in boldface were determined by the Student’s t-test to be significantly different from control (P < 0.05). Values are presented as means ± standard error of three separate experiments, with six replicates each (DOCX 15 kb)

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Ribeiro, R.P., Costa, L.C., Medina, E.F. et al. Ethylene coordinates seed germination behavior in response to low soil pH in Stylosanthes humilis. Plant Soil 425, 87–100 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3572-2

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