Seed germination is the early stage of plant growth. It is the most critical period for individual development, which directly affects the later seedling and flowering. Seed germination involves a series of complex physiological and biochemical reactions and signal transduction, including membrane system repair, reserves mobilization, and DNA replication and matching. Recently, studies on the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of seed germination have been an important issue in the field of the seeds biology.

Prof. YANG Pingfang and his research associate Dr. HE Dongli at Wuhan Botanical Garden had applied 1-D SDS PAGE and LC-MS/MS techniques to research the whole protein expression profiling of rice seed germination. They constructed the most comprehensive seed germination-related metabolic and regulatory pathways based on their study. Meanwhile, they illustrated the importance of supplying bio-energy for glycolysis during seed germination and found that a variety of enzymes required for starch degradation existed before the germination; the water uptake could activate these enzymes rather than increased their expression; both endosperm starch degradation and embryo starch synthesis present during seed germination; De novo biosynthesis of new proteins is necessary for rice seed germination, while transcription is unnecessary.

Abstract: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pmic.201000598/abstract 

Metabolic pathways in germinating rice seeds (Image by WBG)