Towards a systems biology approach to understanding seed dormancy and germination.
Seed germination is the first adaptive decision in the development of many land plants. Advances in genetics and molecular physiology have taught us much about the control of germination using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Here we review the current state of the art with an emphasis on mechanistic considerations and explore the potential impact of a systems biology approach to the problem.
Penfield
Steven
S
Department of Biology, Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, University of York, PO Box 373, York YO10 5YW, UK. sdp5@york.ac.uk
King
John
J
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005075:Biological Evolution; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000502:physiology; D018525:Germination / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D049490:Systems Biology / Q000379:methods*