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Title: LIPIDS IN PEACH BUDS DURING DORMANCY, A POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT IN DORMANCY CONTROL

Author
item EREZ, AMNON - VOLCANI CENTER, ISRAEL
item Wang, Shiow
item FAUST, MIKLOS - RETIRED, USDA, ARS

Submitted to: Journal of American Society of Horticulture Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/15/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Most deciduous fruit trees growing in temperate climates undergo a period of dormancy in the winter. However, the mechanism of dormancy is not very well understood. Factors controlling the onset and breaking of dormancy have not been defined. Our study shows that there was a significant increase in the content of phopholipids, galactolipids and unsaturation of their fatty acides in peach vegetative and floral buds as the buds expose to cold temperature. Composition changes in membrane lipids which were associated with cold temperature, were reversed by warm temperature. This research has shown that the overall physiology of peach buds could be affected by the changes in membrane lipids. Lipids in peach buds may play a role in involvement of controlling dormancy and bud break. This study is beneficial to scientists and researchers interested in the deciduous tree fruit production.

Technical Abstract: A marked increase in total phospholipid content in both dormant vegetative and floral peach buds was found with exposure to chilling sufficient to the requirement for budbreak, whereas intermittent chilling that did not satisfy the chilling requirement caused a loss of phospholipids. The relative level of linoleic acid in phopholipids of vegetative and floral buds was directly correlated with the accumulation of chilling. On transfer of shoots from cold to warm conditions, after the chilling requirement was satisfied, a decrease in linoleate and a rise in linolenate were noted in phospholipid in the buds. In the glycolipid fraction a higher level of linolenate was found in chilled compared with intermittently chilled vegetative buds throughout the dormant period. A minor rise in linoleic acid was also noted in glycolipids of chilled vegetative buds. On the basis of these results, the involvement of restructuring of membrane lipid in dormancy development and release is evident.