Seeds: A Unique System to Study Translational Regulation

Nikita Sajeev; Bing Bai; Leónie Bentsink

doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2019.03.011

Seeds: A Unique System to Study Translational Regulation

Trends Plant Sci. 2019 Jun;24(6):487-495. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2019.03.011. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

Authors

Nikita Sajeev¹, Bing Bai¹, Leónie Bentsink²

Affiliations

¹ Wageningen Seed Laboratory, Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Laboratory website: www.pph.wur.nl.
² Wageningen Seed Laboratory, Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Laboratory website: www.pph.wur.nl. Electronic address: leonie.bentsink@wur.nl.

PMID: 31003894
DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2019.03.011

Abstract

Seeds accumulate mRNA during their development and have the ability to store these mRNAs over extended periods of time. On imbibition, seeds transform from a quiescent dry state (no translation) to a fully active metabolic state, and selectively translate subsets of these stored mRNA. Thus, seeds provide a unique developmentally regulated 'on/off' switch for translation. Additionally, there is extensive translational control during seed germination. Here we discuss new findings and hypotheses linked to mRNA fate and the role of translational regulation in seeds. Translation is an understated yet important mode of gene regulation. We propose seeds as a novel system to study developmentally and physiologically regulated translation.

Keywords: long-lived mRNA; ribosome; seed germination; translational regulation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Gene Expression Regulation, Plant*
Germination*
Proteomics
RNA, Messenger
Seeds

Substances

RNA, Messenger