Seed dormancy is a natural phenomenon in plants. It ensures that seeds complete the grain-filling stage before germination and prevents germination in unsuitable ecological conditions. In this study, we determined the previously unknown function of the rice (Oryza sativa) gene GERMIN-LIKE PROTEIN 2-1 (OsGLP2-1) in seed dormancy. Using artificial microRNA and CRISPR/CAS9 approaches, suppression of OsGLP2-1 expression in rice resulted in the release of dormancy in immature seeds. Conversely, overexpression of OsGLP2-1 driven by the OsGLP2-1 native promoter led to greater seed dormancy. Seed scutellum-specific expression of OsGLP2-1 was increased by exogenous abscisic acid, but decreased with gibberellic acid treatment. We provide evidence that OsGLP2-1 is antagonistically controlled at the transcriptional level by ABA INSENSITIVE5 and GAMYB transcription factors. We conclude that OsGLP2-1 acts as a buffer, maintaining appropriate equilibrium for the regulation of primary dormancy during seed development in rice.

种子休眠是植物中的自然现象。它可以确保种子在发芽之前完成籽粒充实阶段，并防止在不合适的生态条件下发芽。在这项研究中，我们确定了水稻（Oryza sativa）基因GERMIN-LIKE蛋白2-1（OsGLP2-1）在种子休眠中的未知功能。使用人工microRNA和CRISPR / CAS9方法，抑制水稻中OsGLP2-1的表达导致未成熟种子中的休眠释放。相反，过量表达OsGLP2-1由从动OsGLP2-1导致更大的种子休眠天然启动子。OsGLP2-1的种子盾片特异性表达外源脱落酸增加，但赤霉素处理减少。我们提供的证据表明，OsGLP2-1在转录水平上受ABA INSENSITIVE5和GAMYB转录因子拮抗性控制。我们得出的结论是，OsGLP2-1充当缓冲剂，在水稻种子发育期间维持适当的平衡以调节初级休眠。