Seeds that would otherwise be dormant will come to life thanks to a novel chemical discovered by a team led by UC Riverside.
Drought perception is a skill that plants have. When they do, they release a hormone that aids in the retention of water. The same hormone, ABA, tells seeds that it’s not a suitable time to germinate, resulting in poorer agricultural yields and less food in hotter climates – a growing list of problems as a result of climate change.
“Blocking ABA disrupts the chemical mechanism that plants use to limit seed germination,” said UCR project scientist and study author Aditya Vaidya. “This is exactly what our new chemical, Antabactin, does. We have demonstrated that dormant seeds would sprout if we use it.”
A new publication published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences describes demonstrations of Antabactin’s effectiveness.
This research expands on a chemical developed by the same group that replicates the actions of the ABA hormone, which is released by plants in response to drought stress. Opabactin, a chemical, stops a plant’s development so it can preserve water and avoid wilting. It prevents water from leaking by forcing plants to seal microscopic pores in their leaves and stems.
The scientists then set out to develop a chemical that would work in the other direction, opening pores, stimulating germination, and boosting plant growth. Seed dormancy is still a concern in some crops, such as lettuce, despite the fact that it has been mostly eliminated through breeding.
Accelerating and slowing plant development are vital tools for farmers, according to Sean Cutler, a UCR plant cell biology professor and study co-author. He explained, “Our study is all about managing both of these needs.”
Vaidya swiftly created 4,000 variants of Opabactin to locate its antidote. “He found a needle in a haystack of chemicals,” Cutler explained. “The molecule he made inhibits ABA receptors and is exceptionally potent.”
The team demonstrated that adding Antabactin to barley and tomato seeds increased germination in their paper. Both Antabactin and Opabactin might theoretically work together to help crops thrive in a world that is growing drier and hotter.