Voice from both sides: a molecular dialogue between transcriptional activators and repressors in seed-to-seedling transition and crop adaptation

• Published in: Frontiers in plant science Vol. 15; p. 1416216
• Main Authors: Go, Dongeun, Lu, Bailan, Alizadeh, Milad, Gazzarrini, Sonia, Song, Liang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 06.08.2024
• Subjects: climate; crop adaptation; epigenetic regulation; HDAC; LAFL; PKL; Plant Science; PKL; PRC; Sdr4; crop adaptation; LAFL; climate; epigenetic regulation; HDAC
• ISSN: 1664-462X; 1664-462X
• DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1416216

High-quality seeds provide valuable nutrients to human society and ensure successful seedling establishment. During maturation, seeds accumulate storage compounds that are required to sustain seedling growth during germination. This review focuses on the epigenetic repression of the embryonic and seed maturation programs in seedlings. We begin with an extensive overview of mutants affecting these processes, illustrating the roles of core proteins and accessory components in the epigenetic machinery by comparing mutants at both phenotypic and molecular levels. We highlight how omics assays help uncover target-specific functional specialization and coordination among various epigenetic mechanisms. Furthermore, we provide an in-depth discussion on the Seed dormancy 4 (Sdr4) transcriptional corepressor family, comparing and contrasting their regulation of seed germination in the dicotyledonous species Arabidopsis and two monocotyledonous crops, rice and wheat. Finally, we compare the similarities in the activation and repression of the embryonic and seed maturation programs through a shared set of -regulatory elements and discuss the challenges in applying knowledge largely gained in model species to crops.