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Article|01 Jun 2020|OPEN
Molecular dynamics of pre-germinative metabolism in primed eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) seeds
Chiara Forti1 , Valentino Ottobrino1 , Laura Bassolino2,3 , Laura Toppino2 , Giuseppe Leonardo Rotino2 , Andrea Pagano1,4 , Anca Macovei1 , Alma Balestrazzi,1 ,
1Department of Biology and Biotechnology ‘Lazzaro Spallanzani’, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
2CREA-Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Montanaso Lombardo, LO, Italy
3CREA-Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Bologna, Italy
4Present address: Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
*Corresponding author. E-mail: alma.balestrazzi@unipv.it

Horticulture Research 7,
Article number: 87 (2020)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41438-020-0310-8
Views: 1376

Received: 13 Oct 2019
Revised: 24 Mar 2020
Accepted: 30 Mar 2020
Published online: 01 Jun 2020

Abstract

Seed priming, a pre-sowing technique that enhances the antioxidant/DNA repair activities during the pre-germinative metabolism, still retains empirical features. We explore for the first time the molecular dynamics of pre-germinative metabolism in primed eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) seeds in order to identify hallmarks (expression patterns of antioxidant/DNA repair genes combined with free radical profiles) useful to discriminate between high- and low-quality lots. The hydropriming protocol hereby developed anticipated (or even rescued) germination, when applied to lots with variable quality. ROS (reactive oxygen species) raised during hydropriming and dropped after dry-back. Upregulation of antioxidant/DNA repair genes was observed during hydropriming and the subsequent imbibition. Upregulation of SmOGG1 (8-oxoguanine glycosylase/lyase) gene detected in primed seeds at 2 h of imbibition appeared as a promising hallmark. On the basis of these results, the investigation was restricted within the first 2 h of imbibition, to verify whether the molecular landscape was reproducible in different lots. A complex pattern of antioxidant/DNA repair gene expression emerged, reflecting the preponderance of seed lot-specific profiles. Only the low-quality eggplant seeds subjected to hydropriming showed enhanced ROS levels, both in the dry and imbibed state, and this might be a useful signature to discriminate among lots. The plasticity of eggplant pre-germinative metabolism stimulated by priming imposes a plethora of heterogeneous molecular responses that might delay the search for quality hallmarks. However, the information hereby gained could be translated to eggplant wild relatives to speed-up their use in breeding programs or other agronomical applications.