Experimental Evidence for Seed Metabolic Allometry in Barrel Medic (<i>Medicago truncatula</i> Gaertn.)
Seed size is often considered to be an important trait for seed quality, i.e., vigour and germination performance. It is believed that seed size reflects the quantity of reserve material and thus the C and N sources available for post-germinative processes. However, mechanisms linking seed size and...
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MDPI AG
2022-07-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/15/8484 |
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| author | Jean-Baptiste Domergue Julie Lalande Daniel Beucher Pascale Satour Cyril Abadie Anis M. Limami Guillaume Tcherkez |
| author_facet | Jean-Baptiste Domergue Julie Lalande Daniel Beucher Pascale Satour Cyril Abadie Anis M. Limami Guillaume Tcherkez |
| author_sort | Jean-Baptiste Domergue |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Seed size is often considered to be an important trait for seed quality, i.e., vigour and germination performance. It is believed that seed size reflects the quantity of reserve material and thus the C and N sources available for post-germinative processes. However, mechanisms linking seed size and quality are poorly documented. In particular, specific metabolic changes when seed size varies are not well-known. To gain insight into this aspect, we examined seed size and composition across different accessions of barrel medic (<i>Medicago truncatula</i> Gaertn.) from the genetic core collection. We conducted multi-elemental analyses and isotope measurements, as well as exact mass GC–MS metabolomics. There was a systematic increase in N content (+0.17% N mg<sup>−1</sup>) and a decrease in H content (–0.14% H mg<sup>−1</sup>) with seed size, reflecting lower lipid and higher S-poor protein quantity. There was also a decrease in <sup>2</sup>H natural abundance (δ<sup>2</sup>H), due to the lower prevalence of <sup>2</sup>H-enriched lipid hydrogen atoms that underwent isotopic exchange with water during seed development. Metabolomics showed that seed size correlates with free amino acid and hexoses content, and anticorrelates with amino acid degradation products, disaccharides, malic acid and free fatty acids. All accessions followed the same trend, with insignificant differences in metabolic properties between them. Our results show that there is no general, proportional increase in metabolite pools with seed size. Seed size appears to be determined by metabolic balance (between sugar and amino acid degradation vs. utilisation for storage), which is in turn likely determined by phloem source metabolite delivery during seed development. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:32:11Z |
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| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:32:11Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-d701f88da4a04a4db0251fb89a8706d72023-11-30T22:28:37ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672022-07-012315848410.3390/ijms23158484Experimental Evidence for Seed Metabolic Allometry in Barrel Medic (<i>Medicago truncatula</i> Gaertn.)Jean-Baptiste Domergue0Julie Lalande1Daniel Beucher2Pascale Satour3Cyril Abadie4Anis M. Limami5Guillaume Tcherkez6Institut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences, Université d’Angers, INRAe, Institut Agro, 42 Rue Georges Morel, 49070 Beaucouze, FranceInstitut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences, Université d’Angers, INRAe, Institut Agro, 42 Rue Georges Morel, 49070 Beaucouze, FranceInstitut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences, Université d’Angers, INRAe, Institut Agro, 42 Rue Georges Morel, 49070 Beaucouze, FranceInstitut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences, Université d’Angers, INRAe, Institut Agro, 42 Rue Georges Morel, 49070 Beaucouze, FranceInstitut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences, Université d’Angers, INRAe, Institut Agro, 42 Rue Georges Morel, 49070 Beaucouze, FranceInstitut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences, Université d’Angers, INRAe, Institut Agro, 42 Rue Georges Morel, 49070 Beaucouze, FranceInstitut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences, Université d’Angers, INRAe, Institut Agro, 42 Rue Georges Morel, 49070 Beaucouze, FranceSeed size is often considered to be an important trait for seed quality, i.e., vigour and germination performance. It is believed that seed size reflects the quantity of reserve material and thus the C and N sources available for post-germinative processes. However, mechanisms linking seed size and quality are poorly documented. In particular, specific metabolic changes when seed size varies are not well-known. To gain insight into this aspect, we examined seed size and composition across different accessions of barrel medic (<i>Medicago truncatula</i> Gaertn.) from the genetic core collection. We conducted multi-elemental analyses and isotope measurements, as well as exact mass GC–MS metabolomics. There was a systematic increase in N content (+0.17% N mg<sup>−1</sup>) and a decrease in H content (–0.14% H mg<sup>−1</sup>) with seed size, reflecting lower lipid and higher S-poor protein quantity. There was also a decrease in <sup>2</sup>H natural abundance (δ<sup>2</sup>H), due to the lower prevalence of <sup>2</sup>H-enriched lipid hydrogen atoms that underwent isotopic exchange with water during seed development. Metabolomics showed that seed size correlates with free amino acid and hexoses content, and anticorrelates with amino acid degradation products, disaccharides, malic acid and free fatty acids. All accessions followed the same trend, with insignificant differences in metabolic properties between them. Our results show that there is no general, proportional increase in metabolite pools with seed size. Seed size appears to be determined by metabolic balance (between sugar and amino acid degradation vs. utilisation for storage), which is in turn likely determined by phloem source metabolite delivery during seed development.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/15/8484seedmetabolomicsisotopeelemental compositionsizefluxes |
| spellingShingle | Jean-Baptiste Domergue Julie Lalande Daniel Beucher Pascale Satour Cyril Abadie Anis M. Limami Guillaume Tcherkez Experimental Evidence for Seed Metabolic Allometry in Barrel Medic (<i>Medicago truncatula</i> Gaertn.) International Journal of Molecular Sciences seed metabolomics isotope elemental composition size fluxes |
| title | Experimental Evidence for Seed Metabolic Allometry in Barrel Medic (<i>Medicago truncatula</i> Gaertn.) |
| title_full | Experimental Evidence for Seed Metabolic Allometry in Barrel Medic (<i>Medicago truncatula</i> Gaertn.) |
| title_fullStr | Experimental Evidence for Seed Metabolic Allometry in Barrel Medic (<i>Medicago truncatula</i> Gaertn.) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experimental Evidence for Seed Metabolic Allometry in Barrel Medic (<i>Medicago truncatula</i> Gaertn.) |
| title_short | Experimental Evidence for Seed Metabolic Allometry in Barrel Medic (<i>Medicago truncatula</i> Gaertn.) |
| title_sort | experimental evidence for seed metabolic allometry in barrel medic i medicago truncatula i gaertn |
| topic | seed metabolomics isotope elemental composition size fluxes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/15/8484 |
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