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Plant and Cell Physiology, 1995, Vol. 36, No. 7 1189-1195
© 1995

Aging of Soybean Seeds in Relation to Metabolism at Different Relative Humidities

Ming Zhang1, Makoto Yoshiyama1, Tazuko Nagashima1, Yuuko Nakagawa1, Toshihito Yoshioka2 and Yohji Esashi1,3

1 Laboratory of Environmental Biology, Botanical Garden, Faculty of Science, North Campus, Tohoku University Kawauchi, Aobaku, Sendai, 980-77 Japan
2 Laboratory of Bio-adaptation, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tohoku University Amamiya-machi 1-1, Aobaku, Sendai, 981 Japan

3To whom correspondence should be addressed.

The present study was carried out to clarify the relationships between respiration, moisture content and the aging of dry soybean (Glycine max) seeds under different storage conditions. Ethanolic fermentation increased with increasing relative humidity (RH) during storage. However, at 75% RH which corresponded to a water content of 15.2% in seeds, the production of ethanol ceased after one month of storage. The ethanol that had accumulated within the container was re-absorbed by the seeds themselves and disappeared entirely within 3 months, unless the seeds were exposed to HCN gas. Similar changes were also found for methanol. The activity of mitochondria increased only in seeds stored at 75% RH, it reached a maximum after the third month of storage and then rapidly declined. The amounts of both CoA and acetyl CoA in seeds that had been stored for 4 months were far lower at 75% RH than at 53% RH, and the viability of soybean seeds started to decrease after the fourth month at 75% RH. Therefore, a major cause of the rapid deterioration of seeds at 75% RH at room temperature seems to be the rapid development of mitochondrial respiration, which is accompanied by the consumption of CoA and its acetyl derivatives. By contrast, the slow deterioration of seeds during long-term storage at 33% to 68% RH and/or at subzero temperatures seems to be due to the toxic action of acetaldehyde, an intermediate in ethanolic fermentation, which can slowly occur.

(Received April 10, 1995; Accepted July 10, 1995)
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