title: Alanine aminotransferase controls seed dormancy in barley.
abstract: 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 differ in a single amino acid residue. The reduced dormancy allele Qsd1 evolved from barleys that were first domesticated in the southern Levant and had the long dormancy qsd1 allele that can be traced back to wild barleys. The reduced dormancy mutation likely contributed to the enhanced performance of barley in industrial applications such as beer and whisky production, which involve controlled germination. In contrast, the long dormancy allele might be used to control pre-harvest sprouting in higher rainfall areas to enhance global adaptation of barley.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, 2-20-1, Chuo, Kurashiki, Okayama 710-0046, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, 2-20-1, Chuo, Kurashiki, Okayama 710-0046, Japan.
authors.forename: Miki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamane
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, 2-20-1, Chuo, Kurashiki, Okayama 710-0046, Japan.
authors.forename: Nami
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamaji
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanamori
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Akemi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tagiri
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia.
authors.forename: Julian G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Schwerdt
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia.
authors.forename: Geoffrey B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Fincher
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, 2-20-1, Chuo, Kurashiki, Okayama 710-0046, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Komatsuda
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D018826:CD13 Antigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D001467:Hordeum / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D057445:Plant Dormancy / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
chemical_list: D018826:CD13 Antigens