ATP Synthesis during Water Imbibition in Caryopses of Genetically Dormant and Non-dormant Lines of Wild Oat (Avena fatuaL.)

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Abstract
Levels of ATP in dry caryopses of wild oats (Avena fatua L.) were much lower than in imbibed seeds of the seven genetically pure lines surveyed. The ATP content of the lines with high genetic dormancy was consistently lower than the ATP content of genetically non-dormant lines, but no significant correlation with depth of dormancy was found apart from this. Massive increases in ATP content occurred within 30 min of water uptake by caryopses of both dormant and non-dormant lines. The synthetic pathway studied utilized inorganic phosphate with great avidity to form ATP. The ability to form ATP upon imbibition was present in both embryo and de-embryonated caryopsis. The ATP levels attained in imbibing caryopses appeared sufficient to support considerable synthetic activity, and this reduced the possibility that a deficiency in ATP was responsible for the maintenance of dormancy in such imbibed seeds. The low levels of inorganic phosphate in the embryos of genetically dormant lines of wild oat could represent a limiting factor, if the active formation of ATP upon water imbibition resulted in a scarcity of phosphate for other reactions essential to germination.

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