LAUSR

In order to explore the relationship between seed quality and changes in conjugated polyamine in plasma membrane purified from wheat embryos during grain ripening. Plasma membrane (PM) vesicles were isolated from the embryos of ripening wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grains by the gradient centrifugation method. The contents of polyamines conjugated (covalently and non-covalently) to the PM vesicles were investigated. Results showed that after pollination, from the 22nd to the 32nd day, the embryos of wheat grains underwent dehydration, as judged by the decrease of embryo relative water content (ERWC). During embryo ripening, non-covalently conjugated (NCC)-Spd and NCC-Spm, covalently conjugated (CC)-Put and CC-Spd contents increased markedly, while relative embryo cell vigor (RECV) decreased slightly. The treatment with methylglyoxyl-bis (guanylhydrazone) (MGBG), an inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC), inhibited the increases of the NCC-Spd and NCC-Spm contents, enhanced the decrease of RECV simultaneously, and decreased mature seed relative germination potential (RGP). The effects of MGBG were reversed by exogenous Spd and Spm. Phenanthrolin (o–Phen), an inhibitor of transglutaminase (TGase), inhibited the increases of CC-Put and CC-Spd contents, enhanced the decrease of RECV simultaneously, and decreased mature seed RGP. These results suggest that during embryo ripening, the levels of NCC-Spd, NCC-Spm, CC-Put, and CC-Spd increase, and these increases might affect embryo cell vigor and seed germination potential.