Abstract
Seed dormancy is of particular importance in the cultivation of cereals, as it directly affects the quality of crop yield. If the dormancy period is too short, this may lead to pre-harvest sprouting, whereas a dormancy period that is too long may cause uneven germination; both of these scenarios are associated with economic losses. Most enzymes engaged in the metabolism of abscisic acid (ABA) have been identified, and significant progress has been made in understanding the role of this phytohormone in the induction and maintenance of dormancy, mainly as a result of research conducted in <em>Arabidopsis</em>. Much less is known about the metabolism and function of ABA in cereal grains, especially in relation to dormancy and germination. This review focuses on the regulation of ABA metabolism in dormant and non-dormant cereal grains, in both the dry state and upon imbibition. Moreover, this review describes the influence of factors such as after-ripening, light, temperature, nitric oxide, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the dormancy and germination of cereal grains. These factors, with the exception of ROS, appear to affect the level of dormancy and germination of grains through regulation of ABA metabolism.
Highlights
Dormancy is one of the most intensively studied aspects of seed biology
The germination rate of the cyp707a2 mutant seeds was not elevated by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) treatment, contrary to what was observed in the wild-type seeds [59,60]. These results indicate a significant role for the CYP707A2 gene in the nitric oxide (NO)-mediated control of abscisic acid (ABA) levels during seed germination of Arabidopsis seeds; it has yet to be determined whether NO affects seed dormancy in cereal grains through the regulation of genes participating in ABA metabolism
The length and depth of seed dormancy plays a key role in crop cultivation, affecting the economic aspect of agricultural production
Summary
Dormancy is one of the most intensively studied aspects of seed biology. Primary dormancy of seeds is initiated during the seed maturation period, and it is characterized by the inability of intact viable seeds to germinate under favorable conditions [1,2,3,4]. Analysis of the expression of genes potentially encoding regulatory enzymes involved in ABA metabolism in correlation with ABA level and dormancy release during imbibition of monocots seeds was conducted for barley, Brachypodium distachyon, wheat, and rice [14,15,16,25,27,28].
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