Relative dependence: Autophagy in the mother plant and the embryo contributes to Arabidopsis seed development

Our study focused on the role of autophagy in seed development and its impact on nutrient remobilization from the mother plant and seed physiology. By conducting reciprocal crosses between wild-type (WT) and autophagy-deficient (atg mutant) Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) plants, we differentiated between autophagy in the maternal tissue and the embryo. We found that autophagy in the maternal tissues did not affect embryo development, yet led to reduced growth of etiolated F1 atg maternal plants, possibly resulting from altered protein accumulation in the seeds. Surprisingly, F1 seeds from maternal atg mutants showed faster germination due to altered seed coat structure, which probably reduced seed longevity. Our results highlight the tissue-specific functions of autophagy, providing insight into the various roles of autophagy in seed development. Abbreviations: Arabidopsis: Arabidopsis thaliana; ATG: autophagy-related; WT: wild-type.