Seeding Success: How Plants Feed The Next Generation

Understanding how nutrients are transported into seeds is important for improving crop yield and food production.

Scientists from NTU and the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, have discovered seed loading: a key mechanism governing the transport of nutrients into seeds.

The research uncovers the molecular processes behind the formation of the funiculus, an umbilical cord-like structure that delivers nutrients from the maternal plant to the developing seed.

Plants produce lignin, a rigid, woody substance that strengthens plant cell walls and makes them stiff. However, for the funiculus to effectively transport nutrients, it must remain flexible. The researchers found that a regulator protein called zinc finger protein 2 (ZFP2) functions as a “brake” to prevent excessive lignin build-up in the funiculus, ensuring it remains pliable.

Specifically, ZFP2 inhibits the expression of NST1, a key regulator responsible for controlling the accumulation of lignin in plant tissue. By fine-tuning NST1’s expression in the funiculus, ZFP2 ensures that the right amount of lignin is deposited in the funiculus.

“The findings deepen our understanding of how nutrients are efficiently transported into seeds, which has important implications for crop improvement and food production,” explains Assoc Prof Ma Wei of NTU’s School of Biological Sciences, who led the research.