Studies on dormancy and macro-molecular drifts during germination in Cassia occidentalis L. seeds

Abstract

Seeds of Cassia occidentalis L. have inbuilt dormancy which is partially due to seed coat hardiness and partially because of impermeability of seed coat to water uptak e and gaseous exchange. The presence of waxy substances covering the seed coat is attributed as the reason of impermeability. Of the many treatments tried, scaritication of seeds with sulphuric acid was found to be the best for releasing the seeds off their dormancy. The content of total proteins was found to increase in the embryonal axis and cotyledons and decrease in extraembryonal parts during initial phase of germination. The content of RNA in extraembryonal part after hydration increased with the advancement of germination. Preformed RNA instead of newly transcribed RNA was seen to play role in germination. It was nutritive saccharides that were the storage products in these proteinaceous seeds. Under the intiuence of hormones, proteins get mobilised to embryonal zone from extraembryonal part.