Dehydrin metabolism is altered during seed osmopriming and subsequent germination under chilling and desiccation in Spinacia oleracea L. cv. Bloomsdale: Possible role in stress tolerance

Osmopriming improves seed germination performance as well as stress tolerance. To understand the biochemistry of osmopriming-induced seed stress tolerance, we investigated dehydrin (DHN) accumulation patterns at protein and transcript level (determined by immunoblotting and qPCR) during priming, and subsequent germination under optimal and stress conditions (i.e. chilling and desiccation) in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. cv. Bloomsdale) seeds. Our data indicate enhanced germination performance of primed seeds is accompanied by increased accumulation of three dehydrin-like proteins (DLPs): 30, 26, and 19-kD. Moreover, 30, 26 and 19-kD DLPs that first only transiently accumulated during priming re-accumulated in response to stresses, suggesting an evidence for ‘cross-tolerance’, which is initially induced by priming and later recruited during post-priming germination under stresses. Study with CAP85, a spinach DHN, corroborates above observations at the gene-expression and protein accumulation level. Additionally, our results suggest that during seed germination and seedling establishment, CAP85 expression may be regulated by the interplay of two factors: seedling development and stress responses. In conclusion, our data suggest that 30, 26, and 19-kD dehydrin-like proteins and CAP85 may be used as potential biochemical/molecular markers for priming-induced stress tolerance in ‘Bloomsdale’ spinach.

► Three dehydrin-like proteins (30, 26, and 19-kD) first only transiently accumulated during priming followed by disappearance but re-accumulated in response to stresses during germination.
► These dehydrin-like proteins may be associated with osmopriming-induced stress tolerance in germinating seeds.
► CAP85, a stress-responsive spinach dehydrin, is up-regulated during priming and post-priming germination.
► The 30, 26, and 19-kD dehydrin-like proteins, and CAP85 may be used as potential biochemical/molecular markers for priming-induced stress tolerance in ‘Bloomsdale’ spinach seeds.