ICE1 and ZOU determine the depth of primary seed dormancy in Arabidopsis independently of their role in endosperm development.

ABSTRACT: Seed dormancy is a widespread and key adaptive trait that is essential for the establishment of soil seed banks and prevention of pre-harvest sprouting. Herein we demonstrate that the endosperm-expressed transcription factors ZHOUPI (ZOU) and INDUCER OF CBF EXPRESSION1 (ICE1) play a role in determining the depth of primary dormancy in Arabidopsis. We show that ice1 or zou increases seed dormancy and the double mutant has an additive phenotype. This increased dormancy is associated with increased ABA levels, and can be separated genetically from any role in endosperm maturation because loss of ABA biosynthesis or DELAY OF GERMINATION 1 reverses the dormancy phenotype without affecting the aberrant seed morphology. Consistent with these results, ice1 endosperms had an increased capacity for

SUBMITTER: MacGregor DR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6900779 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature