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Reciprocal Field Transplant Experiment and Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Provide Insights Into Differences in Seed Germination Time of Two Populations From Different Geographic Regions of Zostera marina L

Seagrasses are the only submerged marine higher plants, which can colonize the sea through sexual ( seeds) reproduction. The transition between seed dormancy and germination is an important ecological trait and a key stage in the life cycle of higher plants. According to our observations, the seeds...

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Published in:Frontiers in plant science 2022-01, Vol.12, p.793060-793060
Main Authors: Zhang, Yu, Xu, Shaochun, Yue, Shidong, Zhang, Xiaomei, Qiao, Yongliang, Liu, Mingjie, Zhou, Yi
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Seagrasses are the only submerged marine higher plants, which can colonize the sea through sexual ( seeds) reproduction. The transition between seed dormancy and germination is an important ecological trait and a key stage in the life cycle of higher plants. According to our observations, the seeds of L. (eelgrass) in Swan Lake (SL) and Qingdao Bay (QB) in northern China have the same maturation time (summer) but different germination time. To investigate this phenomenon, we further carried out reciprocal transplantation experiment and transcriptome analysis. Results revealed that differences in the seed germination time between the two sites do exist and are determined by internal molecular mechanisms as opposed to environmental factors. Furthermore, we conducted comparative transcriptome analysis of seeds at the mature and early germination stages in both locations. The results that the number of genes related to energy, hormone and cell changes was higher in SL than in QB, could account for that the dormancy depth of seeds in SL was deeper than that in QB; consequently, the seeds in SL needed to mobilize more related genes to break dormancy and start germination. The results could have important practical implications for seagrass meadow restoration seeds and provide in-depth and comprehensive data for understanding the molecular mechanisms related to seagrass seed germination.
ISSN:1664-462X
1664-462X
DOI:10.3389/fpls.2021.793060