title: Chilling-dependent release of seed and bud dormancy in peach associates to common changes in gene expression.
abstract: Reproductive meristems and embryos display dormancy mechanisms in specialized structures named respectively buds and seeds that arrest the growth of perennial plants until environmental conditions are optimal for survival. Dormancy shows common physiological features in buds and seeds. A genotype-specific period of chilling is usually required to release dormancy by molecular mechanisms that are still poorly understood. In order to find common transcriptional pathways associated to dormancy release, we analyzed the chilling-dependent expression in embryos of certain genes that were previously found related to dormancy in flower buds of peach. We propose the presence of short and long-term dormancy events affecting respectively the germination rate and seedling development by independent mechanisms. Short periods of chilling seem to improve germination in an abscisic acid-dependent manner, whereas the positive effect of longer cold treatments on physiological dwarfing coincides with the accumulation of phenylpropanoids in the seed.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leida
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conejero
authors.forename: Vicent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arbona
authors.forename: Aurelio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gómez-Cadenas
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Llácer
authors.forename: María Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Badenes
authors.forename: Gabino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ríos
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D003080:Cold Temperature; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000502:physiology*; D057445:Plant Dormancy / Q000502:physiology*; D027861:Prunus / Q000502:physiology*; D012639:Seeds / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000040:Abscisic Acid