Abstract
Plants make decisions throughout their lifetime based on complex networks. Phase transitions during seed growth are not an exception. From embryo development through seedling growth, several molecular pathways control genome stability, environmental signal transduction and the transcriptional landscape. Particularly, epigenetic modifications and small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) have been extensively studied as significant handlers of these processes in plants. Here, we review key epigenetic (histone modifications and methylation patterns) and sRNA-mediated regulatory networks involved in the progression from seed maturation to germination, their relationship with seed traits and crosstalk with environmental inputs.
Highlights
Attention has been directed to learning from large-scale genome reprogramming, where coordinated expression profiles are required for phase transitions during seed life cycle and are often associated with major changes in chromatin structure
Several mutants with known defects in seed maturation, dormancy and germination correspond to genes involved in chromatin structure, DNA methylation and small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) pathways, evidencing the importance of epigenetic regulation and chromatin dynamic maintenance during these developmental stages
GA excess translates into negative effects, like precocious seed germination and pre-harvesting sprouting or viviparity [9], while GA-deficient mutant seeds from Arabidopsis and tomato are unable to germinate unless external GA treatment is applied [10]
Summary
Molecular dissection of seed development phase transitions has revealed cell-signaling pathways, hormonal balance interactions, biotic or abiotic stress effects and biomechanical aspects leading to germination arrest and progression. Attention has been directed to learning from large-scale genome reprogramming, where coordinated expression profiles are required for phase transitions during seed life cycle and are often associated with major changes in chromatin structure. Dynamic transcriptional control is endorsed by interactions between epigenetic effectors. Several mutants with known defects in seed maturation, dormancy and germination correspond to genes involved in chromatin structure, DNA methylation and sRNA pathways, evidencing the importance of epigenetic regulation and chromatin dynamic maintenance during these developmental stages. We discuss recent knowledge on epigenetic and non-coding small RNA-mediated regulation during late embryonic maturation driving to dormancy acquisition and posterior germination, with particular highlights on interactions between effectors of each regulatory path to achieve these transitions
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