Abstract
Seed germination is an important phase transitional period of angiosperm plants during which seeds are highly sensitive to different environmental conditions. Although seed germination is under the regulation of salicylic acid (SA) and other hormones, the molecular mechanism underlying these regulations remains mysterious. In this study, we determined the expression of SA methyl esterase (MES) family genes during seed germination. We found that MES7 expression decreases significantly in imbibed seeds, and the dysfunction of MES7 decreases SA content. Furthermore, MES7 reduces and promotes seed germination under normal and salt stress conditions, respectively. The application of SA restores the seed germination deficiencies of mes7 mutants under different conditions. Taking together, our observations uncover a MeSA hydrolytic enzyme, MES7, regulates seed germination via altering SA titer under normal and abiotic stress conditions.
Highlights
Plant growth and stress response are two important factors that decide the final yield of crops [1]
In light of the key role of methyl esterase (MES) in salicylic acid (SA) content alternation and function in plant resistance to pathogens, we studied the expression of MES family genes at different germination conditions and discovered that the transcript level of MES7 dramatically response to germination condition
Previous study showed that genes related to SA accumulation are suppressed during the imbibition process before visible seed germination [30]
Summary
Plant growth and stress response are two important factors that decide the final yield of crops [1]. Plant growth is dramatically altered by different stresses. Plant hormones are organic substances that are synthesized by plants and play important roles in the regulation of almost all plant developmental processes. A wide variety of versatile phytohormones, including auxins, gibberellins (GA), cytokinins, brassinosteroids, salicylic acid (SA), jasmonates (JA), ethylene (ET) and abscisic acid (ABA) have been identified in plants and involves in plant development and responses to environmental stresses. With the deepening of research, the role of SA further extends to regulate various plant development processes, including plant growth, development, maturation, senescence and the like [5]
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