| The inhibitory effects of NaCl, L- and D-asparagine, and asparagine substrate analogs, beta-aspartyl hydroxamate (AAH) and albizziin, alone or in combination on Columbia Arabidopsis seed germination and seedling survival were characterized under aseptic conditions. Germination on an agar medium supplemented with inorganic nutrients was prevented by 200 mM NaCl, 20 mM L-asparagine, 60 mM D-asparagine, 1.4 mM AAH, or 8 mM albizziin. Established seedlings were generally more tolerant to these chemicals than germinating seeds. Exogenous L- and D-asparagine partly reversed the inhibitory effects of NaCl on seed germination. L-asparagine also partly reversed AAH inhibition of germination. A M2 seed bank was created from the self-pollinated progeny of ethyl methane sulfonate treated seeds. Arabidopsis mutants having increased tolerance to NaCl and AAH, but not albizziin, were successfully selected from this seed bank. |
