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Diversification of phytochrome contributions to germination as a function of seed-maturation environment.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Donohue, K; Heschel, MS; Butler, CM; Barua, D; Sharrock, RA; Whitelam, GC; Chiang, GCK
Published in: The New phytologist
January 2008

Environmental conditions during seed maturation influence germination, but the genetic basis of maternal environmental effects on germination is virtually unknown. Using single and multiple mutants of phytochromes, it is shown here that different phytochromes contributed to germination differently, depending on seed-maturation conditions. Arabidopsis thaliana wild-type seeds that were matured under cool temperatures were intensely dormant compared with seeds matured at warmer temperature, and this dormancy was broken only after warm seed-stratification followed by cold seed-stratification. The warm-cold stratification broke dormancy in fresh seeds but not in dry after-ripened seeds. Functional PHYB and PHYD were necessary to break cool-induced dormancy, which indicates a previously unknown and ecologically important function for PHYD. Disruption of PHYA in combination with PHYD (but not PHYB) restored germination to near wild-type levels, indicating that PHYA contributes to the maintenance of cool-induced dormancy on a phyD background. Effects of seed-maturation temperature were much stronger than effects of seed-maturation photoperiod. PHYB contributed to germination somewhat more strongly in seeds matured under short days, whereas PHYD contributed to germination somewhat more strongly in seeds matured under long days. The variable contributions of different phytochromes to germination as a function of seed-maturation conditions reveal further functional diversification of the phytochromes during the process of germination. This study identifies among the first genes to be associated with maternal environmental effects on germination.

Duke Scholars

Published In

The New phytologist

DOI

EISSN

1469-8137

ISSN

0028-646X

Publication Date

January 2008

Volume

177

Issue

2

Start / End Page

367 / 379

Related Subject Headings

  • Time Factors
  • Temperature
  • Seeds
  • Plant Biology & Botany
  • Phytochrome
  • Photoperiod
  • Mutation
  • Germination
  • Genetic Variation
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
 

Citation

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ICMJE
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Donohue, K., Heschel, M. S., Butler, C. M., Barua, D., Sharrock, R. A., Whitelam, G. C., & Chiang, G. C. K. (2008). Diversification of phytochrome contributions to germination as a function of seed-maturation environment. The New Phytologist, 177(2), 367–379. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2007.02281.x
Donohue, Kathleen, M Shane Heschel, Colleen M. Butler, Deepak Barua, Robert A. Sharrock, Garry C. Whitelam, and George C. K. Chiang. “Diversification of phytochrome contributions to germination as a function of seed-maturation environment.The New Phytologist 177, no. 2 (January 2008): 367–79. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2007.02281.x.
Donohue K, Heschel MS, Butler CM, Barua D, Sharrock RA, Whitelam GC, et al. Diversification of phytochrome contributions to germination as a function of seed-maturation environment. The New phytologist. 2008 Jan;177(2):367–79.
Donohue, Kathleen, et al. “Diversification of phytochrome contributions to germination as a function of seed-maturation environment.The New Phytologist, vol. 177, no. 2, Jan. 2008, pp. 367–79. Epmc, doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2007.02281.x.
Donohue K, Heschel MS, Butler CM, Barua D, Sharrock RA, Whitelam GC, Chiang GCK. Diversification of phytochrome contributions to germination as a function of seed-maturation environment. The New phytologist. 2008 Jan;177(2):367–379.
Journal cover image

Published In

The New phytologist

DOI

EISSN

1469-8137

ISSN

0028-646X

Publication Date

January 2008

Volume

177

Issue

2

Start / End Page

367 / 379

Related Subject Headings

  • Time Factors
  • Temperature
  • Seeds
  • Plant Biology & Botany
  • Phytochrome
  • Photoperiod
  • Mutation
  • Germination
  • Genetic Variation
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant