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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #102784
Title: DEVELOPMENT, STRUCTURE, AND QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF CALCIUM OXALATE CRYSTALS IN DEVELOPING SOYBEAN OVULES AND SEEDS

Author
item ILARSLAN, HILAL - ANKARA UNIV., TURKEY
item Palmer, Reid
item IMSANDE, JOHN - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item HORNER, HARRY - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/15/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Developing soybean ovules and seeds display large numbers of single, winged, prismatic calcium (Ca) oxalate crystals as well as soluble oxalate. Crystals appear in many integumentary cells during early stages of normal ovule development (<0 d; prefertilization) and continue to form through the early stages of seed development (>0 d - +16 d; postfertilization). Initiation of crystals within cell vacuoles coincides with the appearance of dense bodies, membrane whorls, and tubule-like bodies. In the inner integument, cell vacuoles assume future crystal shapes prior to the appearance of the crystals. As the embryo enlarges it crushes the surrounding integumentary cells, and the crystals in these tissues disappear. Crystals reappear in the two developing cotyledons of the embryo. During the seed development stages [+3 d to +60 d (near maturity)], determination of total, soluble, and insoluble oxalate revealed that by +16 6d, the seeds consisted of about 24% dry mass of oxalate, and three-fourths of this oxalate (18%) was Ca oxalate. As seed development progressed, the % of Ca oxalate decreased. These measurements of insoluble Ca oxalate support the data showing the presence of crystals and indicate there is a significant buildup and change in the ratio of calcium oxalate/oxalate. The changes associated with this ratio are correlated with Ca storage and seed storage protein synthesis for future use by the embryo.