Cloning of DOG1, a quantitative trait locus controlling seed dormancy in Arabidopsis

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 103; no. 45; pp. 17042 - 17047
• Main Authors: Bentsink, L, Jowett, J, Hanhart, C.J, Koornneef, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 07.11.2006; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: abscisic-acid; Alleles; Alternative Splicing; Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - growth & development; Arabidopsis - physiology; Arabidopsis thaliana; Base Sequence; Biological Sciences; Botany; Cloning; Cloning, Molecular; Complementary DNA; DNA; DNA, Plant - genetics; DOG1 gene; Dormancy; embryo development; gene; Gene expression; Genes, Plant; Genetic loci; Genetic Variation; Germination; Germination - genetics; gibberellin biosynthesis; longevity; maintenance; messenger RNA; molecular cloning; Molecular Sequence Data; Multigene Family; mutants; Mutation; natural allelic variation; nucleotide sequences; phenotype; Phenotypes; Quantitative Trait Loci; Seed dormancy; seed germination; Seeds; Seeds - growth & development; Seeds - physiology; thaliana l heynh; Transcription, Genetic
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0607877103

Genetic variation for seed dormancy in nature is a typical quantitative trait controlled by multiple loci on which environmental factors have a strong effect. Finding the genes underlying dormancy quantitative trait loci is a major scientific challenge, which also has relevance for agriculture and ecology. In this study we describe the identification of the DELAY OF GERMINATION 1 (DOG1) gene previously identified as a quantitative trait locus involved in the control of seed dormancy. This gene was isolated by a combination of positional cloning and mutant analysis and is absolutely required for the induction of seed dormancy. DOG1 is a member of a small gene family of unknown molecular function, with five members in Arabidopsis. The functional natural allelic variation present in Arabidopsis is caused by polymorphisms in the cis-regulatory region of the DOG1 gene and results in considerable expression differences between the DOG1 alleles of the accessions analyzed.