Chinese Bulletin of Botany

• SPECIAL TOPICS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Research Progress of Reactive Oxygen Species in Plant Seed Dormancy Release and Germination

Jie Zhao 1, 2,Jing Li 1, 2, Yuxin Li 2, 4, Yi Huang1, 2, Jie Yang 2, 3, Xia Li1, 2, 3, 4 *   

  1. 1College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037; 2Institute of Food Crops, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhongshan Laboratory for biological Breeding Unveiled; Key Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation in downstream of Huaihe River (Nanjing); Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, 210014; 3Yangzhou University/Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops of Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou 225009; 4College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095

  • Received:2024-11-29 Revised:2025-03-04 Online:2025-03-18 Published:2025-03-18
  • Contact: Xia LI

Abstract: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the regulation of seed dormancy release and germination. Low levels of ROS can promote seed germination, while high levels of ROS are extremely harmful to seeds. Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) is an important agronomic trait, which has an important effect on crop yield and quality. Pre-harvest sprouting and seed dormancy are closely related, and they are two extreme manifestations of the same trait. Therefore, studying the dual role of ROS in seed dormancy and germination can provide a new perspective for revealing the internal molecular mechanism of pre-harvest sprouting. For this purpose, this paper summarized the sites and pathways of ROS production during seed germination, focusing on the interaction of ROS with biomacromolecules, plant hormones and other small molecules in plant seed germination and the signaling pathways of ROS participation during seed germination, in order to provide theoretical basis for understanding the mechanism of ROS in the process of crop pre-harvest sprouting.

Key words: Reactive oxygen species,, plant hormones,, germination,, dormancy,, signal transduction