Plant development: multiple strategies for breaking seed dormancy.
Plant seeds will not germinate when in a dormant state. What then are the factors controlling dormancy? A recent study has uncovered two basic-helix-loop-helix proteins which repress germination and are critical for maintaining dormancy. The combined action of light and cold synergistically alleviates activity of these repressors thus stimulating germination.
Tsiantis
Miltos
M
Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK.
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D018525:Germination / Q000235:genetics*; D008027:Light; D008954:Models, Biological; D012639:Seeds
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; C426006:SPT protein, Arabidopsis; C508068:At2g20180 protein, Arabidopsis