Primary seed dormancy is a critical trait for sustainable agricultural development, ensuring seed germination under favorable conditions. The induction, maintenance and release of seed dormancy is a complicated physiological process that is strictly controlled by a variety of endogenous signals and environmental factors. In Arabidopsis, DOG1 (DELAY OF GERMINATION 1) is identified as the main quantitative trait locus (QTL) of seed dormancy, which contributes to deep dormancy in the Cvi ecotype.

more »

... n recent years, considerable progress has been made to elucidate the molecular regulatory mechanism by which DOG1 controls seed dormancy. In this review, we describe a series of findings on the role of DOG1 in controlling primary seed dormancy, ranging from transcriptional and posttranslational regulation, epigenetic modification, and protein stability to biochemical functions during environmental perception and adaptation. We propose that the DOG1-based regulatory network is a good model for elucidating the basic biological mechanism governing seed dormancy and providing valuable information to genetically engineer crops for quality improvement.