Seed germination is a complex trait of key ecological and agronomic significance. Few genetic factors regulating germination have been identified, and the means by which their concerted action controls this developmental process remains largely unknown. Using publicly available gene expression data from Arabidopsis thaliana, we generated a condition-dependent network model of global transcripti...

Seed dormancy is a complex life history trait that determines the timing of germination and is crucial for local adaptation. Genetic studies of dormancy are challenging, because the trait is highly plastic and strongly influenced by the maternal environment. Using a combination of statistical and experimental approaches, we show that multiple alleles at the previously identified dormancy locus ...

Dormancy regulation in vegetative buds is a complex process necessary for plant survival, development and architecture. Our understanding of and ability to manipulate these processes are crucial for increasing the yield and availability of much of the world's food. In many cases, release of dormancy results in increased cell division and changes in developmental programs. Much can be learned ab...

Plants have a remarkable ability to react to seasonal changes by synchronizing life-cycle transitions with environmental conditions. We addressed the question of how transcriptional re-programming occurs in response to an environmental cue that triggers the major life cycle transition from seed dormancy to germination and seedling growth. We elucidated an important mechanistic aspect of this pr...

Although, grapevines do not have a high chilling requirement, its fulfillment is critical for normal development of the vines. In tropical and subtropical regions such as Farrashband, in the south of Iran, there is no adequate winter chilling to release bud dormancy in grapevines. So it is necessary to consider the effect of chemical dormancy–breaking agents on bud dormancy. In the present rese...

Winter dormancy has been extensively studied in many plants, while much less information is available for summer dormancy. Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis is characterized by a prolonged period of summer dormancy during the annual cycle. In the present study, we characterized the nature of dormancy in the controlled growth conditions and investigated the effects of temperature and ethylene on ...

Seed dormancy is an ecological adaptation that allows seasonal timing of germination for seeds in a population. Several environmental stimuli can trigger dormancy release, the most important being seed moisture content, light and temperature. Of these, temperature is arguably the most important. The objective of this brief review is to consider the various ways temperature impacts seed dormancy...

Dormancy allows wild barley grains to survive dry summers in the Near East. After domestication, barley was selected for shorter dormancy periods. Here we isolate the major seed dormancy gene qsd1 from wild barley, which encodes an alanine aminotransferase (AlaAT). The seed dormancy gene is expressed specifically in the embryo. The AlaAT isoenzymes encoded by the long and short dormancy alleles...

Seed dormancy can prevent germination under unfavourable conditions that reduce the chances of seedling survival. Freshly harvested seeds often have strong primary dormancy that depends on the temperature experienced by the maternal plant and which is gradually released through afterripening. However, seeds can be induced into secondary dormancy if they experience conditions or cues of future u...