DNA methylation and integrity in aged seeds and regenerated plants ($) (Seed Sci. Res.)

Understanding seed aging is crucial to comprehend seed longevity in the field and to design ex situ conservation programs. However, the mechanisms behind seed aging are underexplored. In this paper, Mira et al. assessed the changes in DNA integrity and methylation between aged and non-aged seeds of Mentha aquatica and the seedlings obtained from these seeds. To achieve these, they used Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Methylation-Sensitive Amplification Polymorphism (MSAP) analysis to asses changes in the DNA profile of the seeds and seedlings after the aging treatment. Surprisingly, DNA integrity was only affected in the seedlings from aged seeds, suggesting the loss of DNA integrity might be undetectable in the seed stage. However, aged seed and seedlings had an altered methylation profiles. These results indicate that seed aging in M. aquatica is associated with changes in DNA methylation in seeds and seedlings, and the accumulation of DNA lesions in seedlings. Also, the authors suggest the use of RAPD and MSAP as molecular indicators to continue studying seed aging (Summary by Carlos A. Ordóñez-Parra) Seed Sci. Res. 10.1017/S0960258520000021