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JXB Advance Access published online on August 23, 2005
Journal of Experimental Botany, doi:10.1093/jxb/eri263
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© The Author [2005]. Published by Oxford University Press [on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology]. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oupjournals.org
Received May 9, 2005
Accepted July 13, 2005

RESEARCH PAPER

Sugar metabolism in developing lupin seeds is affected by a short-term water deficit

Carla Pinheiro 1, Ana Paula Rodrigues 2, Isabel Saraiva de Carvalho 3, Maria Manuela Chaves 4, and Cândido Pinto Ricardo 4*

1 Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Apartado 127, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal
2 Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
3 Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal; Faculdade de Engenharia de Recursos Naturais, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
4 Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Apartado 127, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Cândido Pinto Ricardo, E-mail: ricardo{at}itqb.unl.pt


  Abstract

A short-term water deficit (WD) imposed during the pre-storage phase of lupin seed development [15-22 d after anthesis (DAA)] accelerated seed maturation and led to smaller and lighter seeds. During seed development, neutral invertase (EC 3.2.1.26) and sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13) have a central role in carbohydrate metabolism. Neutral invertase is predominant during early seed development (up to 40 DAA) and sucrose synthase during the growing and storage phase (40-70 DAA). The contribution of acid invertase is marginal. WD decreased sucrose synthase activity by 2-fold and neutral invertase activity by 5-6-fold. These changes were linked to a large decrease in sucrose (~60%) and an increase of the hexose:sucrose ratio. Rewatering restored sucrose synthase activity to control levels while neutral invertase activity remained depressed (30-60%). A transient accumulation of starch observed in control seeds was abolished by WD. Despite the several metabolic changes the final seed composition was largely unaltered by WD except for ~60% increase in stachyose and raffinose (raffinose family oligosaccharides). This increase in raffinose family oligosaccharides appears as the WD imprinting on mature seeds.

Keywords: Galactinol synthase; invertase; Lupinus albus; rewatering; seed development; storage compounds; sucrose synthase; sugars; water deficit.
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