The relationship between mitochondria and seed aging

Seeds vigor is very important for agricultural production as the most basic materials which directly determine the success or failure of agricultural production. The studies of seed aging mechanism are always the hotspot and difficulty in seed science research. Mitochondria are important organelles in eukaryotic cells and play central roles in cell energy synthesis and metabolism, but they are also the main sources of reactive oxygen species which have been widely regarded as the major cause of seed ageing. During seed aging, the typical structure of mitochondria is gradually damaged, accompanied by the reduction of respiratory rate and oxidative phosphorylation efficiency and the change of antioxidant function. The present article mainly summarizes the changes of mitochondrial structure, respiration, antioxidant system during seed aging, and introduces the research progress of relationship between mitochondria changes and programmed cell death. The existing problems and future development of the relationship between seed aging and mitochondria are systematically reviewed which might provide a theoretical foundation for the mechanism study of mitochondria changes during seed ageing.