Seed coat-derived ABA regulates seed dormancy of <i>Pyrus betulaefolia</i> by modulating ABA and GA balance.

ABSTRACT: Plant seeds have evolved diverse dormancy types and regulatory mechanisms to adapt to environmental conditions and seasonal changes. As a commonly used rootstock for cultivated pears, Pyrus betulaefolia faces challenges in seedling production and large-scale cultivation due to limited understanding of seed dormancy mechanisms. In this study, we report that Pyrus betulaefolia seeds exhibit non-deep physiological dormancy, with seed coats playing a pivotal regulatory role. Exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) treatment, fluridone application and seed coat bedding assay demonstrated that dormant seed coats actively synthesized ABA to inhibit embryo germination during imbibition. ABA in imbibed dormant seed coats stimulated ABA biosynthesis in embryos, leading to increased expression of

SUBMITTER: Wang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12414344 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature