DOG1-imposed dormancy mediates germination responses to temperature cues

Seed dormancy and environment-dependent germination requirements interact to determine the timing of germination in natural environments. This study tested the contribution of the dormancy gene Delay Of Germination 1 (DOG1) to primary and secondary dormancy induction in response to environmental cues, and evaluated how DOG1-mediated dormancy influenced germination responses to different temperature cues. We verified that DOG1 is involved in the induction of primary dormancy in response to cool seed-maturation temperature experienced by maternal plants, and we found that it is also involved in secondary dormancy in response to warm and prolonged cold stratification experienced by seeds during imbibition. DOG1-imposed dormancy can also mediate germination responses to environmental conditions, including cold stratification and germination temperatures experienced by imbibing seeds. Specifically, germination responsiveness to temperature cues is most apparent when seeds exhibit an intermediate degree of dormancy. However, DOG1 itself does not seem to directly regulate the response to cold stratification nor does it determine the function of temperature-dependent germination, since DOG1 mutants were capable of exhibiting increased germination after cold stratification as well as temperature-dependent germination. Instead, DOG1 has major effects on germination behavior primarily by exposing or masking underlying environmental sensitivity, and thereby strongly influences how environmentally responsive germination can be, and when during a season, it is likely to exhibit environmental sensitivity.