Effects of Sucrose on Germination and Seedling Development of Brassica Napus

Abstract

Sucrose is the major carbon form translocated in higher plants, and also works as an important signaling molecule that regulates genes involved in photosynthesis, metabolism, and developmental processes. Many studies focused on glucose, normal decomposed product of sucrose, demonstrated that glucose resulted in a delay of germination and an inhibition of seedling development. In this study, we determined the effects of sucrose on germination kinetics and seedlings development. Our results indicated that exogenous sucrose didn’t have a similar role to glucose, showed 167mM sucrose delayed the rate of seed germination in wild-ecotype seeds by extending peak time of germination, and had multiple roles to seedling development. Overhigh concentration of sucrose (333mM) restrained germination and seedling development seriously. Further experiments of transcript profiles of genes involved in energy and carbohydrate metabolism indicated that seedlings absorbed and utilized the exogenous sucrose as a priority while reduced the need for internal source.