Open Accesscis -4-Cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide: Inhibitor of phytochrome-promoted seed germination
Author(s) -
J. Derek Bewley,
Ann Oaks
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.77.6.3408
Subject(s) - phytochrome , gibberellic acid , germination , cycloheximide , darkness , dormancy , biology , far red , red light , botany , protein biosynthesis , biochemistry
cis -4-Cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide (CHDC) inhibits the germination of light-requiring seeds in both light and darkness but has no effect upon the germination of non-light-requiring seeds. In lettuce seeds, CHDC inhibits the action of far-red-absorbing form of phytochrome in breaking dormancy. This inhibition can be overcome by benzyladenine and red light together, but not by a combination of red light and gibberellic acid. Gibberellic acid-induced germination of lettuce seeds in darkness is inhibited also by CHDC. Embryos isolated from dark-imbibed lettuce seeds germinate on the inhibitor. CHDC was thought to be an “analogue” of cycloheximide, but it does not inhibit protein synthesis in lettuce seeds. Our results lead us to conclude that CHDC inhibits germination of seeds that require red light to break dormancy and interferes with some aspect of metabolism that is stimulated by far-red-absorbing form of phytochrome.