休眠与萌发是植物种子维持生存及适应环境变化的一种特征,受许多基因调控和环境因子的影响。目前,利用数量遗传学方法和突变体等手段对种子休眠和萌发特性已进行了深入研究,但至今尚无完全揭示植物种子休眠与萌发的详细机制。激素是调节种子休眠与萌发的关键因子,其与种子萌发及休眠的关系一直是种子生理生化研究的热点。随着分子生物学的快速发展和大量突变体的发现,在种子休眠和萌发过程中,单个激素的调控作用及激素之间相互作用关系的机理也日益明确,但不同激素之间的信号传导网络中还有很多关键点没有研究清楚。本文重点阐述脱落酸(ABA)、赤霉素(GA)、乙烯(ETH)和油菜素内酯(BR)等激素在种子休眠和萌发过程中调控机理的研究进展,同时进一步完善了这4种激素之间的信号传导关系。
Seed dormancy and germination are complex adaptive traits of plants influenced by a great number of genes and environmental factors. Although the utilization of quantity genetics methods (such as QTL analysis) and mutant approaches have made great development for dormancy and germination, the detailed mechanisms of dormancy and germination are not yet fully reported. Hormone, a factor to initiate seed germination, plays a key role in the regulation of seed dormancy and germination. Therefore, the relation between hormones and both germination and dormancy continues to be a research focus of seed physiology and biochemistry. With advancing understanding of the molecular biology and the discovery of a large number of mutants, regulatory mechanisms for a single hormone and interactions among hormones during seed dormancy and germination processes are better known. However, little knowledge about key points of networks for different hormones is known. This paper will focus on the functions of abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin (GA), ethylene (ETH), brassinosteroids (BR) and other hormones during seed dormancy and germination progress, and further discusses the signaling relationship among these four hormones.