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The seed-specific heat shock factor A9 regulates the depth of dormancy in Medicago truncatula seeds via ABA signaling
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  • Julia Zinsmeister,
  • Souha Berriri,
  • Denise Basso,
  • Benoit Ly Vu,
  • Thi Thu Dang,
  • David Lalanne,
  • Edvaldo AA Silva,
  • Olivier Leprince,
  • Julia Buitink
Julia Zinsmeister
AGROCAMPUS OUEST

Corresponding Author:julia.zinsmeister@laposte.net

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Souha Berriri
INRAE
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Denise Basso
UNESP
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Benoit Ly Vu
AGROCAMPUS OUEST
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Thi Thu Dang
INRAE
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David Lalanne
INRAE
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Edvaldo AA Silva
UNESP
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Olivier Leprince
AGROCAMPUS OUEST
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Julia Buitink
INRAE
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Abstract

During the later stages of seed maturation, two key adaptive traits are acquired that contribute to seed lifespan and dispersal, longevity and dormancy. The seed-specific heat shock transcription factor A9 is an important hub gene in the transcriptional network of late seed maturation. Here we demonstrate that HSFA9 plays a role in thermotolerance rather than in ex situ seed conservation. Storage of hsfa9 seeds of Medicago truncatula and Arabidopsis had comparable lifespan at moderate storage relative humidity (RH), whereas at high RH, hsfa9 seeds lost their viability much faster than wild type seeds. Furthermore, we show that in M. truncatula, Mthsfa9 seeds acquired more dormancy during late maturation than wild type. Transient expression of MtHSFA9 in hairy roots and transcriptome analysis of Mthsfa9 Tnt1 insertion mutants identified a deregulation of genes involved in ABA biosynthesis, catabolism and signalling. Consistent with these results, Mthsfa9 seeds exhibited increased ABA levels and higher sensitivity to ABA. These data suggest that in legumes, HSFA9 acts as a negative regulator of the depth of seed dormancy during seed development via the modulation of hormonal balance.
12 May 2020Submitted to Plant, Cell & Environment
14 May 2020Submission Checks Completed
14 May 2020Assigned to Editor
16 May 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
15 Jun 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
16 Jun 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
10 Jul 20201st Revision Received
11 Jul 2020Assigned to Editor
11 Jul 2020Submission Checks Completed
11 Jul 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
11 Jul 2020Editorial Decision: Accept
19 Jul 2020Published in Plant, Cell & Environment. 10.1111/pce.13853