Advances in the transcriptional regulation of seed vigor and its application in molecular breeding for rice.
6 affiliations
- 1Rice Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou, 350019, China.
- 2Key Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding of Hybrid Rice in South China/Fujian Engineering Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding/Fujian Key Laboratory of Rice, Molecular Breeding/Fuzhou Branch, National Center of Rice Improvement of China/National Engineering Center of Rice, Fuzhou, 350003, China.
- 3State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.
- 4Rice Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou, 350019, China. [email protected].
- 5Key Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding of Hybrid Rice in South China/Fujian Engineering Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding/Fujian Key Laboratory of Rice, Molecular Breeding/Fuzhou Branch, National Center of Rice Improvement of China/National Engineering Center of Rice, Fuzhou, 350003, China. [email protected].
- 6State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China. [email protected].
Abstract
Rice seed vigor is a life-cycle trait whose performance after sowing depends on physiological capacity established during seed development, preserved during storage, and reactivated during germination and seedling establishment. Rather than functioning as isolated stage-specific pathways, transcriptional networks coordinate a series of transitions between protection and growth. During seed development, transcription factors establish embryo competence, reserve organization, desiccation tolerance, and proteostasis, thereby creating the physiological capacity for subsequent performance. During storage, ABA- and auxin-associated bZIP networks, including the OsARF12-OsbZIP23 and OsbZIP23-PER1A modules and SAG9-associated regulation, maintain longevity through antioxidant and protective processes; emerging salicylic acid-associated signaling further extends this hormone-redox regulatory framework. After imbibition, ABA-GA balance, sugar and energy signaling, reserve mobilization, reactive oxygen species homeostasis, and cell expansion determine the timing and uniformity of germination, while related regulatory modules support establishment under salinity, chilling, water deficit, and oxygen limitation. Importantly, current evidence varies substantially in strength: some regulators are directly supported by germination, longevity, dormancy, or stress-vigor phenotypes, whereas others remain developmental candidates inferred mainly from grain composition or seed-development traits. Field-emergence validation and natural-storage evidence also remain limited. We therefore propose that rice seed-vigor improvement should prioritize stage-appropriate regulatory alleles and precise modulation of transcription-factor activity, while jointly considering storability, dormancy and pre-harvest sprouting resistance, field establishment, yield, and grain quality.
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BibTeX
@article{chen2026advances,
title = {{Advances in the transcriptional regulation of seed vigor and its application in molecular breeding for rice.}},
author = {Feihe Chen and Yifei Zhang and Zhijia Wu and Haomin Zhang and Yuzhen Gao and Jiaxing Fan and Qiuyang Wei and Huaan Xie and Jianfu Zhang},
journal = {Plant molecular biology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s11103-026-01772-0},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42961533},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Advances in the transcriptional regulation of seed vigor and its application in molecular breeding for rice.
AU - Feihe Chen
AU - Yifei Zhang
AU - Zhijia Wu
AU - Haomin Zhang
AU - Yuzhen Gao
AU - Jiaxing Fan
AU - Qiuyang Wei
AU - Huaan Xie
AU - Jianfu Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Plant molecular biology
DO - 10.1007/s11103-026-01772-0
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42961533
AB - Rice seed vigor is a life-cycle trait whose performance after sowing depends on physiological capacity established during seed development, preserved during storage, and reactivated during germination and seedling establishment. Rather than functioning as isolated stage-specific pathways, transcriptional networks coordinate a series of transitions between protection and growth. During seed development, transcription factors establish embryo competence, reserve organization, desiccation tolerance, and proteostasis, thereby creating the physiological capacity for subsequent performance. During storage, ABA- and auxin-associated bZIP networks, including the OsARF12-OsbZIP23 and OsbZIP23-PER1A modules and SAG9-associated regulation, maintain longevity through antioxidant and protective processes; emerging salicylic acid-associated signaling further extends this hormone-redox regulatory framework. After imbibition, ABA-GA balance, sugar and energy signaling, reserve mobilization, reactive oxygen species homeostasis, and cell expansion determine the timing and uniformity of germination, while related regulatory modules support establishment under salinity, chilling, water deficit, and oxygen limitation. Importantly, current evidence varies substantially in strength: some regulators are directly supported by germination, longevity, dormancy, or stress-vigor phenotypes, whereas others remain developmental candidates inferred mainly from grain composition or seed-development traits. Field-emergence validation and natural-storage evidence also remain limited. We therefore propose that rice seed-vigor improvement should prioritize stage-appropriate regulatory alleles and precise modulation of transcription-factor activity, while jointly considering storability, dormancy and pre-harvest sprouting resistance, field establishment, yield, and grain quality.
SN - 1573-5028
SN - 0167-4412
ER -