Ultraweak Photon Emission from the Seed Coat in Response to Temperature and Humidity-A Potential Mechanism for Environmental Signal Transduction in the Soil Seed Bank.

ABSTRACT: Seeds beneath the soil sense the changing environment to time germination and seedling emergence with the optimum time of year for survival. Environmental signals first impact with the seed at the seed coat. To investigate whether seed coats have a role in environmental sensing we investigated their ultraweak photon emission (UPE) under the variable temperature, relative humidity and oxygen conditions they could experience in the soil seed bank. Using a custom-built luminometer we measured UPE intensity and spectra (300-700 nm) from Phaseolus vulgaris seeds, seed coats and cotyledons. UPE was greatest from the internal surface of the seed coat. Seed coat UPE increased concomitantly with both increasing temperature and decreasing relative humidity. Emission was oxygen dependent and it was a

SUBMITTER: Footitt S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5031227 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature