St Andrews Research Repository

St Andrews University Home
View Item 
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • Biology (School of)
  • Biology
  • Biology Theses
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • Biology (School of)
  • Biology
  • Biology Theses
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • Biology (School of)
  • Biology
  • Biology Theses
  • View Item
  • Login
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

The role of metabolic adaptation in the avoidance of soaking injury in seeds

Thumbnail
View/Open
ColinRNortonPhDThesis.pdf (40.36Mb)
Date
1975
Author
Norton, Colin R.
Supervisor
Crawford, R. M. M.
Metadata
Show full item record
Altmetrics Handle Statistics
Abstract
Seeds of a range of crop species were classified according to their ability to germinate after presowing soaking treatments of varying severity. The differences in soaking tolerance were then compared with changes in several metabolic parameters to determine the importance of metabolic adaptation in the avoidance of soaking injury in seeds. After seed soaking treatments those species most susceptible to injury exhibited the highest respiration rates under nitrogen. At the same time the species with the highest respiration rates under nitrogen showed more rapid utilization of their seed reserves. This was demonstrated as a positive correlation of respiration rate under nitrogen against the fall in sucrose content of seeds on soaking. A similar positive correlation of respiration under nitrogen with alcohol content and with fall in sucrose content on soaking seeds was found. However, when the malic acid content of, seeds was assayed the reverse trend was shown, where malic acid was negatively correlated both with respiration under nitrogen and with the fall in sucrose content on soaking seeds. Thus the changes in the alcohol and malic acid contents of seeds on soaking were negatively correlated with each other. Analysis of lactic acid content of soaked seeds was expressed as the percentage of the three anaerobic products measured (ie. alcohol plus malic acid plus lactic acid) and gave a significant negative correlation against respiration rate under nitrogen' on soaking seeds. Parallel studies of both alcohol and malic dehydrogenases were conducted after soaking seeds. The activity of alcohol dehydrogenase was highest in those species which were least tolerant of soaking injury, while the Michaelis constants for alcohol dehydrogenase with respect to acetaldehyde were low in species intolerant of soaking injury but higher in species tolerant of this treatment. Enhanced metabolic damage was observed as a result of both high (30°C) and of low temperature (0°C) soaking treatments, but only in species which were normally susceptible to soaking injury. In studies on a single species (Pisum sativum) metabolic injury followed a similar course to the above studies in high but not in low temperature soaking treatments. Studies on the enzyme invertase showed grossly enhanced activity with a rise in temperature. This increased activity was also related to germination counts.
Type
Thesis, PhD Doctor of Philosophy
Collections
  • Biology Theses
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/14279

Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Advanced Search

Browse

All of RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunderThis CollectionBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunder

My Account

Login

Open Access

To find out how you can benefit from open access to research, see our library web pages and Open Access blog. For open access help contact: openaccess@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Accessibility

Read our Accessibility statement.

How to submit research papers

The full text of research papers can be submitted to the repository via Pure, the University's research information system. For help see our guide: How to deposit in Pure.

Electronic thesis deposit

Help with deposit.

Repository help

For repository help contact: Digital-Repository@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Give Feedback

Cookie policy

This site may use cookies. Please see Terms and Conditions.

Usage statistics

COUNTER-compliant statistics on downloads from the repository are available from the IRUS-UK Service. Contact us for information.

© University of St Andrews Library

University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013532.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter