Conexão entre os processos de degradação das reservas de proteinas e carboidratos e o edfeito dos hormonios e açucares em sementes de Sesbania virgata (Cav.) Pers / Connection between storage proteins and carbohydrates degradation and the effects of hormones and sugars in seeds of Sesbania virgata (Cav.) Pers

Patricia Pinho Tonini

Seeds of Sesbania virgata (Cav.) Pers. have an endosperm which accumulates galactomannan as a storage polysaccharide in the cell walls that is hydrolysed after germination by three enzymes (a-galactosidase, endo-ß-mannanase and exo-ß-mannosidase). Besides the storage of carbon, there is a great amount of protein bodies in the cytoplasm of endospermic cells, which play the major role as a nitrogen reserve in this seed. It is likely that a synchronization between the process of galactomannan and protein degradation occurs for a more efficient distribution and use of the storage degradation products. However, to understand these mechanisms, it is necessary to study aspects of the production and action control of the hydrolytic enzymes responsible for the mobilisation of these reserves. Aiming to determine in which point of the metabolism the seed of S. virgata is in relation to the production of the hydrolytic enzymes, during and after germination, and the supposed tissues involved in this production, seeds of this specie were imbibed in actinomycin-D (transcription inhibitor) and cycloheximide (translation inhibitor), and the effects of these inhibitors verified thought the a-galactosidase activity and detection in the testa and endosperm of these seeds. Besides of this, for to verify and relate the effects of abscisic acid, ethylene and sugars on the reserves degradation after germination of the S. virgata, seeds of this specie were imbibed in ABA, ethylene, glucose and sucrose, and the effects of these were verified through the protein content, a-galactosidase activity and endogenous production of ABA and ethylene in this seeds. In the presence of actinomycin-D and cycloheximide, the production and activity of the a- galactosidase were not inhibited during and after germination, suggesting that the production of this enzyme occurs principally during the maturation of the seed. Apparently, after the germination, this enzyme is processed by proteolysis, so that it becomes activated to perform galactomannan degradation. On the other hand, the presence of actinomycin-D and cycloheximide inhibited the protein degradation in the testa and endosperm and at the same time induced the a-galactosidaseactivity in the same tissues at the final steps of the galactomannan degradation process. This suggests the existence of synthesis de novo of the proteases during and after germination and a possible relationship between the storage protein and galactomannan mobilisation. Regarding the hormones, the presence of exogenous ABA retarded the beginning of the storage protein degradation in the endosperm and also decreased a-galactosidase activity in the same tissue at the end of galactomannan degradation. This suggests that there is a regulator effect of this hormone during the storage degradation, repressing the enzymes action. In the presence of exogenous ethylene an increase in the a-galactosidase activity in the endosperm and in the testa were observed at the end of galactomannan degradation, suggesting an inducing effect of this hormone on the hydrolytic enzymes. The finding of endogenous ABA and ethylene production, observed during the period of the storage mobilisation, give support to the above raised hypothesis that the two hormones participate in the control of the hydrolytic enzyme activities in seeds of S. virgata. Furthermore, the changes observed in the endogenous ABA and ethylene production in the presence of glucose and sucrose, suggested a relation between the signaling pathway of these hormones and the sugars signaling, controlling the process of storage degradation. Thus, our results add evidence to suggest that ABA and ethylene antagonistically control the storage mobilisation in seeds of S. virgata, together with the sugars, through the hydrolytic enzymes activation, controlling the process of storage protein and galactomannan degradation, in other to avoiding the excess production of reductor sugars and sucrose during the post-germinative period and assuring the efficient afflux of the carbon and nitrogen to the seedling development.

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