ARS | Publication request: DEVELOPMENT OF PROTEIN BODIES AND ACCUMULATION OF CARBOHYDRATES IN A SOYBEAN SHRIVELED SEED MUTANT

Submitted to: American Journal of Botany
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: August 1, 1997
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Soybean represents a major source of the world's production of plant protein and seed oil. It is a major export commodity for the U.S. Consequently, understanding of the mechanisms used by the plant to produce seed oil and protein are important. It is known that mutations that cause abnormal seed development often cause changes in seed composition. In this sstudy the authors characterized the development of a shriveled seed mutant in soybean and associated the shriveling with changes in protein storage bodies within the seed. They also noted that starch break-down was reduced in shriveled seed and that some elements were missing from storage bodies. These observations may help researchers understand how shape and developmental form may affect nutritional composition of oil seeds.

Technical Abstract: The soybean seed mutant T311, when grown under specific environmental conditions, produces shriveled seed. This research investigated changes in development of protein bodies and accumulation of carbohydrates during seed development by comparing the mutant with P2180 seeds. The shriveled seeds contained larger protein bodies but fewer protein bodies per cell than round seeds. Protein bodies in T311 seeds included more dispersed crystal and less globoid regions than P2180 seeds. The elemental composition of the crystals and of whole seeds in T311 were different from that in P2180 seeds. Starch breakdown was reduced with concomitant lower soluble sugar content in T311 seeds after the D11 stage (10.0-11.9 mm long seeds). The reduced starch breakdown and lowered soluble sugar content were consistent with lower alfa-amylase activity and earlier and greater water loss in T311 seeds. Changes in development of protein bodies and accumulation of carbohydrates were associated with the development of the shriveled seeds.