Research Articles

DNA Double Strand Break Repair Is Important for the Longevity of Primed Seeds Waterworth et al. 2025 Research Article

"Several crop species, including high value vegetable seeds, are routinely improved by priming, a pre‐germinative seed treatment in which controlled hydration increases the speed of germination and enhances field emergence (Heydecker et al. 1973)."

"Seeds of [Wild Type] and DNA repair mutant lines were primed for 48h with −0.75MPa PEG6000 before drying."

"The transcriptional DNA damage response is activated early in Arabidopsis seed germination, around the re-initiation of cellular metabolism upon rehydration and peaks at 6h (Waterworth et al. 2010)."

"Priming was able to partially reverse this ageing‐related profile, such that the subsequent imbibition of primed seeds resulted in gene expression profiles similar to those of high quality, unaged seed lots."

"Priming significantly activated the transcriptional response to chromosomal breaks and, in lig6lig4 mutant seed, greatly exacerbated programmed cell death."

"These results revealed that DSB repair is an important factor in promoting longevity of primed seed, further supported by the improved longevity of primed seeds with enhanced expression of LIG6."

"Collectively our findings establish the genetic requirement for LIG6 in longevity of primed seed and indicate that the reduced longevity of primed seeds is mitigated by DSB repair activities."

Seed DNA damage responses promote germination and growth in Arabidopsis thaliana Waterworth et al. 2022 Research Article

"Collectively, these results indicate that high levels of DNA damage incurred in seeds are countered by low cell cycle activity, cell cycle checkpoints, and DNA repair, promoting successful seedling establishment."

The importance of safeguarding genome integrity in germination and seed longevity Waterworth et al. 2015 Research Article

What was this book about?

Seed Longevity—The Evolution of Knowledge and a Conceptual Framework Nadarajan et al. 2023 Research Article

What was this book about?

WHIRLY proteins maintain seed longevity by effects on seed oxygen signalling during imbibition Taylor et al. 2023 Research Article

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DNA damage checkpoint kinase ATM regulates germination and maintains genome stability in seeds Waterworth et al. 2016 Research Article

This researches how ATM regulates genome stability and delays germination during repair. It does not look at seed longevity itself.

"Mechanistically, ATM functions through control of DNA replication in imbibing seeds."

"We demonstrate that double-strand breaks (DSBs) are rate-limiting for germination. We identify that desiccation tolerant seeds exhibit a striking transcriptional DSB damage response during germination, indicative of high levels of genotoxic stress, which is induced following maturation drying and quiescence."

"In response to aging, ATM delays germination, whereas atm mutant seeds germinate with extensive chromosomal abnormalities."

"In response to genotoxic stresses, these checkpoint kinases activate DNA repair factors, delay or halt cell cycle progression, and promote endocycles or programmed cell death (1–4)."

The nuclear protein Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 3 (AtPARP3) is required for seed storability in Arabidopsis thaliana Rissel et al. 2014 Research Article

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Review Articles

Good for background information and broad concepts.

Review Articles

WHIRLY protein functions in plants Taylor et al. 2021 Review Article

"The WHY1 and WHY2 proteins function as transcription factors in the nucleus regulating phytohormone synthesis and associated growth and stress responses, as well as fulfilling crucial roles in DNA and RNA metabolism in plastids and mitochondria."

"WHY1, WHY2 (and WHY3 proteins in Arabidopsis) maintain organelle genome stability and serve as auxiliary factors for homologous recombination and double-strand break repair."

Unraveling the Mechanistic Basis for Control of Seed Longevity Tan et al. 2025 Review Article

"Genes involved in regulating seed longevity in Arabidopsis."