Aldo-ketoreductase 1 (AKR1) improves seed longevity in tobacco and rice by detoxifying reactive cytotoxic compounds generated during ageing.

Background: Maintenance of seed viability is an important factor for seedling vigour and plant establishment. Lipid peroxidation mediated reactive carbonyl compounds (RCC's) and non-enzymatic modifications of proteins through Maillard and Amadori products reduce seed viability and seedling vigour.

Results: In this study, the relevance of RCCs on genotypic variation in rice seed viability and overexpression of an aldo-ketoreductase (AKR1) enzyme that detoxify cytotoxic compounds to improve seed viability and vigour was studied.