Arabidopsis seed secrets unravelled after a decade of genetic and omics‐driven research
Résumé
Seeds play a fundamental role in colonization of the environment by spermatophytes, and seeds harvested from crops are the main food source for human beings. Knowledge of seed biology is therefore important for both fundamental and applied issues. This review on seed biology illustrates the important progress made in the field of Arabidopsis seed research over the last decade. Access to 'omics' tools, including the inventory of genes deduced from sequencing of the Arabidopsis genome, has speeded up the analysis of biological functions operating in seeds. This review covers the following processes: seed and seed coat development, seed reserve accumulation, seed dormancy and seed germination. We present new insights in these various fields and describe ongoing biotechnology approaches to improve seed characteristics in crops.
have continued to be exploited over the past decade, despite experimental difficulties resulting from gene duplications/redundancies (e.g. identification of the GA receptor), and will obviously continue to be valuable. However, the study of seed biodiversity, an important topic in terms of evolution, cannot be restricted to the analysis of intra-specific natural variation in Arabidopsis. It is time to look at biological diversity in other seedproducing plants in order to understand what makes them unique in terms of biochemical composition, tolerance to adverse environmental conditions, germination features, competition with other plants, and many other processes. Here we review the present status of Arabidopsis seed research and its biotechnological impact. This research will provide a valuable foundation for studies in other species.