Record Details

Seed dormancy and germination - emerging mechanisms and new hypotheses

ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University

Field Value
Title Seed dormancy and germination - emerging mechanisms and new hypotheses
Names Nonogaki, Hiroyuki (creator)
Date Issued 2014-05-27 (iso8601)
Note This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the author(s) and published by the Frontiers Research Foundation. The published article can be found at: http://www.frontiersin.org/Plant_Science.
Abstract Seed dormancy has played a significant role in adaptation and evolution of seed
plants. While its biological significance is clear, molecular mechanisms underlying seed
dormancy induction, maintenance and alleviation still remain elusive. Intensive efforts
have been made to investigate gibberellin and abscisic acid metabolism in seeds, which
greatly contributed to the current understanding of seed dormancy mechanisms. Other
mechanisms, which might be independent of hormones, or specific to the seed dormancy
pathway, are also emerging from genetic analysis of “seed dormancy mutants.” These
studies suggest that chromatin remodeling through histone ubiquitination, methylation
and acetylation, which could lead to transcription elongation or gene silencing, may play a
significant role in seed dormancy regulation. Small interfering RNA and/or long non-coding
RNA might be a trigger of epigenetic changes at the seed dormancy or germination
loci, such as DELAY OF GERMINATION1. While new mechanisms are emerging from
genetic studies of seed dormancy, novel hypotheses are also generated from seed
germination studies with high throughput gene expression analysis. Recent studies
on tissue-specific gene expression in tomato and Arabidopsis seeds, which suggested
possible “mechanosensing” in the regulatory mechanisms, advanced our understanding
of embryo-endosperm interaction and have potential to re-draw the traditional hypotheses
or integrate them into a comprehensive scheme. The progress in basic seed science will
enable knowledge translation, another frontier of research to be expanded for food and
fuel production.
Genre Article
Access Condition http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/
Topic chromatin remodeling
Identifier Nonogaki, H. (2014). Seed dormancy and germination—emerging mechanisms and new hypotheses. Frontiers in Plant Science, 5, 233. doi:10.3389/fpls.2014.00233

© Western Waters Digital Library - GWLA member projects - Designed by the J. Willard Marriott Library - Hosted by Oregon State University Libraries and Press