Autophagy maintains endosperm quality during seed storage to preserve germination ability in Arabidopsis

What is it about?

To germinate after long-term storage, plant seeds must cope with environmental stresses during the storage period. In this study, we found that autophagy, an intracellular self-degradation system, contributes to the maintenance of seed germination ability during storage period. We examined the germination rate of long-term stored seeds and found that seeds from autophagy-defective plants (atg mutants) had a significantly reduced germination rate compared to the wild type. Interestingly, embryos from long-term stored atg mutant seeds showed growth when the endosperm and seed coat were removed. In wild type seeds, autophagy occurred during storage in the endosperm, whereas oxidized proteins were highly accumulated in the endosperm of long-term stored atg mutant seeds. Moreover, 80% of the endosperm cells in long-term stored atg mutant seeds were dead, whereas this value was less than 10% in the wild type. Taken together, our data suggest that autophagy preserves the germination ability of seeds by maintaining the quality of endosperm cells during storage.

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Photo by Denise Johnson on Unsplash

Photo by Denise Johnson on Unsplash

Why is it important?

We have identified a novel mechanism by which seeds adapt to damage during the storage period and have discovered a new aspect of the causes of the forfeiture of germination ability. In agriculture, the technology for long-term seed storage is crucial. Saving crop seeds with high germination activity is an effective measure against food crises. Additionally, preserving a wide variety of seeds contributes to securing genetic resources, which are valuable for research and the creation of new crop varieties. Our findings are significant for the aforementioned reasons.

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