Relationship between mitochondrial changes and seed aging as a limitation of viability for the storage of beech seed (Fagus sylvatica L.)

Aging is one of the most fundamental biological processes occurring in all forms of eukaryotic life. Beech trees (Fagus sylvatica L.) produce seeds in intervals of 5–10 years. Its yearly seed yield is usually very low, so there is a need for long-term seed storage to enable propagation of this species upon demand. Seeds for sowing must be of high quality but they are not easy to store without viability loss. Understanding the mechanism responsible for seed aging is therefore very important. We observed the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mitochondria of embryonic axes and cotyledons of beech seeds during natural aging. The presence of ROS led to changes in compromised mitochondrial membrane integrity and in mitochondrial metabolism and morphology. In this study, we pointed to the involvement of mitochondria in the natural aging process of beech seeds, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this involvement are still unknown.