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Nitrite, sodium nitroprusside, potassium ferricyanide and hydrogen peroxide release dormancy of Amaranthus retroflexus seeds in a nitric oxide-dependent manner

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Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important regulators involving various processes of plant growth and development. Amaranthus retroflexus L. seeds possess a relative dormancy property that means freshly collected seeds can only germinate over a limited, high temperature range. Here, we show that the relative dormancy of A. retroflexus seeds could be significantly released following treatments with exogenous NO/cyanide (CN) donors such as nitrite, gases evolved from acidified nitrite, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), potassium ferricyanide (Fe(III)CN) and gases evolved from SNP or Fe(III)CN solutions, as well as exogenously supplied ROS, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). However, the effectiveness varied among these chemicals. Gases evolved from acidified nitrite displayed maximum effect while H2O2 had minimum effect. We also show that the effects of these compounds could be significantly inhibited by NO specific scavenger 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl 3-oxide (PTIO), indicating that NO signaling pathway might play a central role in the dormancy release and germination of A. retroflexus seeds, while both ROS and CN might act through NO-dependent signaling cascades.

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Abbreviations

CN:

Cyanide

CRG:

Coefficient of rate of germination

Fe(III)CN:

Potassium ferricyanide

NO:

Nitric oxide

PTIO:

2-Phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl 3-oxide

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SNP:

Sodium nitroprusside

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Minggao He, Qingyun Wang, Xie Li and Jianqing Ye (Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences) for assisting with germination assays. We also thank Prof. Xiaobai Jin (Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences) for revising the manuscript. This research was financially supported by National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (30870223).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Group of Seed Physiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China

    Xuanyu Liu, Zhijun Deng, Hongyan Cheng & Songquan Song

  2. Centre for Ecosystem Management, School of Natural Resources, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, 6027, Australia

    Xinhua He

  3. Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Xuanyu Liu & Zhijun Deng

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  1. Xuanyu Liu
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  2. Zhijun Deng
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  4. Xinhua He
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Correspondence to Songquan Song.

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Liu, X., Deng, Z., Cheng, H. et al. Nitrite, sodium nitroprusside, potassium ferricyanide and hydrogen peroxide release dormancy of Amaranthus retroflexus seeds in a nitric oxide-dependent manner. Plant Growth Regul 64, 155–161 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-010-9551-0

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