INRAE, Institut Agro, Université d'Angers, IRHS, SFR QUASAV, F-49000 Angers, France.
J Exp Bot. 2024 Oct 16;75(19):6110-6124. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erae213.
To ensure their vital role in disseminating the species, dormant seeds have developed adaptive strategies to protect themselves against pathogens and predators. This is orchestrated through the synthesis of an array of constitutive defences that are put in place in a developmentally regulated manner, which are the focus of this review. We summarize the defence activity and the nature of the molecules coming from the exudate of imbibing seeds that leak into their vicinity, also referred to as the spermosphere. As a second layer of protection, the dual role of the seed coat will be discussed; as a physical barrier and a multi-layered reservoir of defence compounds that are synthesized during seed development. Since imbibed dormant seeds can persist in the soil for extensive periods, we address the question of whether during this time a constitutively regulated defence programme is switched on to provide further protection, via the well-defined pathogenesis-related (PR) protein family. In addition, we review the hormonal and signalling pathways that might be involved in the interplay between dormancy and defence and point out questions that need further attention.
为了确保它们在传播物种方面的重要作用，休眠种子已经形成了适应性策略来保护自己免受病原体和捕食者的侵害。这是通过合成一系列组成性防御来实现的，这些防御以发育调节的方式被放置，这是本综述的重点。我们总结了渗出物中来自吸胀种子的防御活性和分子的性质，这些渗出物也被称为精子球。作为第二层保护，将讨论种皮的双重作用；作为物理屏障和在种子发育过程中合成的防御化合物的多层储库。由于吸胀的休眠种子可以在土壤中持续存在很长时间，我们提出了一个问题，即在这段时间内，通过明确的病程相关（PR）蛋白家族，是否会开启一个组成性调节的防御计划，以提供进一步的保护。此外，我们还回顾了可能参与休眠和防御相互作用的激素和信号通路，并指出了需要进一步关注的问题。
