Seeds Protect their Genetic Material from Dehydration
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding (MPI) in Cologne, Germany have discovered that the genetic material in seeds becomes more compact and the nuclei of the seed cells contract when the seeds begin to mature. The scientists perceive that this mechanism is exhibited by seeds to protect their genetic material from dehydration.
"The size of the nucleus is independent of the state of dormancy of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds," says Wim Soppe, one of the researchers. The reduction of the nucleus is a continuous activity to increase resistance to dehydration.The condensation of the chromatin is not linked to the changes in the nucleus.
Results of the study could be used to protect other organisms against dehydration because the mechanisms involved in the organization of the chromatin remain the same over the course of evolution.
Read the complete article at http://www.mpg.de/4671131/plant_seeds_dehydration.
This article is part of the Crop Biotech Update, a weekly summary of world developments in agri-biotech for developing countries, produced by the Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology, International Service for the Aquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications SEAsiaCenter (ISAAA)
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