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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Abiotic Stress
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1482355

A potential role of a special type of abortive seeds in Cunninghamia lanceolata: promoting the growth of healthy seedlings in active aluminum ions-rich soil

Provisionally accepted
Shiyan Mu Shiyan Mu Yating Yang Yating Yang Xiaoyu Qu Xiaoyu Qu Fangfang Wang Fangfang Wang Fangfang Ma Fangfang Ma Zhen-ning Ding Zhen-ning Ding Lingpeng Ye Lingpeng Ye Yaling Zhang Yaling Zhang Mengmeng Lyu Mengmeng Lyu Jiajun Zhang Jiajun Zhang Guangqiu Cao Guangqiu Cao Guochang Ding Guochang Ding Chao Wu Chao Wu Yu Chen Yu Chen *
  • Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background and aims: "Astringent seed" is a type of abortive seed frequently observed in Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata). It is widely recognized but poorly understood for its underlying causes.This study investigates the potential of astringent seeds to alleviate the toxic effects of active aluminum ions.Methods: This study involved treating seeds and seedlings with two distinct concentrations of astringent seeds water extracts under the aluminum ion stress. Then the germination of seeds and growth of seedlings were evaluated and compared.Results: Under aluminum stress, both seed germination and seedling growth were notably inhibited.Treatment with a low-concentration of the extract significantly alleviated this inhibition. Root elongation in the seedlings increased by 36.95% compared to the control group, and the aluminum ion accumulation at the root tips was reduced by 38.89% relative to the aluminum-stressed group. This treatment also normalized the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the roots and leaves, enhanced the activities of antioxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and restored the levels of endogenous hormones including gibberellin (GA3), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), methyl jasmonate (Ja-ME), and abscisic acid (ABA). Furthermore, the low-concentration of the extract positively impacted the disorganized chloroplast structures. In contrast, a high-concentration of the extract failed to revert most of these stress indicators.Low concentrations of astringent seed water extract effectively alleviate the inhibitory effects of aluminum ions on seed and seedling. This implies that in natural environments, the proximity of healthy seeds to astringent seeds could potentially enhance their growth.

    Keywords: Cunninghamia lanceolata, astringent seeds, aluminum toxicity, alleviative effect, Seedling growth, soil microenvironment mediation

    Received: 18 Aug 2024; Accepted: 11 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Mu, Yang, Qu, Wang, Ma, Ding, Ye, Zhang, Lyu, Zhang, Cao, Ding, Wu and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Yu Chen, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.