2023-11-15 10:13:35
Researchers at Wageningen University have discovered a previously unnoticed component within Arabidopsis thaliana: a thin film that encases the embryo in the seed.
According to the authors, this discovery is particularly noteworthy because this species has been studied intensively for five decades. The new knowledge gained about the component could help seed and breeding companies maintain the health of their seeds and plants.
Researchers from Dolf Weijers’ biochemistry group and Joris Sprakel’s mechanobiology group detailed their findings in the journal Development. Although the exact role of this newly discovered component is still unclear, scientists suspect that the embryonic envelope acts as a kind of straitjacket, ensuring that the embryo maintains the correct shape during its development.
During the first few days after fertilization, the nutrient layer surrounding the embryo is not fully developed, leaving more space. According to Weijers and Sprakel, the membrane may play a crucial role in ensuring that the embryo maintains its proper shape, preventing uncontrolled growth and bulging of cells.
INVISIBLE FORCE
Despite its possible role in maintaining the shape of the baby plant, the embryonic envelope is incredibly thin, which explains why it was overlooked by plant researchers for decades. Discoverers Yosapol Harnvanichvech and Cecilia Borassi accidentally stumbled upon the film while trying to separate the sixteen cells of a young plant embryo. An invisible force held the cells together. Only when the researchers looked under a microscope to understand why the cells were not detached did they see the film surrounding the embryo.
“Then we knew what to look for,” Borassi says in a statement. The plant scientists scanned detailed images of plant embryos that their colleagues had taken years ago with an electron microscope. “It’s usually one of those components that you only notice when you know it’s there.”
When the Wageningen researchers examined scientific publications, they discovered similar membranes in photographs of tobacco plant embryos. Weijers and Sprakel are convinced that the same component is found in many more plants, if not all.
The implications of this discovery are important for seed and breeding companies, as the membrane is believed to play a crucial role in seed and embryo health. “If you don’t know that such an embryonic membrane exists, you can’t take it into account,” says Weijers. A damaged, deformed or even missing membrane could have serious consequences for the growth and development of the baby plant.
To understand the exact consequences, scientists must manipulate or remove the embryonic envelope in the laboratory, but this is challenging since the envelope is made up of fats and proteins that are cross-linked together. This makes it completely elastic, extremely strong and difficult to degrade with chemicals. “We’ve tried endlessly, but we haven’t succeeded yet,” says Harnvanichvech.
If fellow researchers are successful, we will gain clarity on the exact function of the membrane and the consequences of any mishaps. While the researchers suspect that the straitjacket function mentioned above is the most obvious function of the envelope, they do not rule out other possibilities. The envelope could act as a gatekeeper that would allow only a select group of chemicals through.
“In this way, young and vulnerable embryos can be protected against harmful substances,” says Borassi. Finally, the embryonic envelope could serve as an attachment point for the protective layer of fat that the plant will later develop. The fat layer can adhere better to the membrane than to the embryo itself.
Although more research is needed to reveal the role of the embryonic membrane, Harnvanichvech and Borassi are excited about their discovery. “It’s really cool to discover something new with fundamental science,” Borassi said.
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