Role of DOG1 and FT, Key Regulators of Seed Dormancy, in Adaptation of Arabidopsis thaliana from the Northern Natural Populations.

The results of assessing the primary dormancy, greatly important for adaptation, of seeds of A. thaliana plants from northern natural populations are presented. The temperature history of the maternal plant during the period of seed maturation was found to control the germination of seed progeny. The dependence of the transcriptional activity of the FT gene in plant pods on temperature history of the maternal plant was identified: the activity was found to be higher at a colder temperature (16°C) compared to warmer conditions. For DOG1, a similar relationship is true only for some populations that include both late-flowering and relatively early-flowering plants. This is likely due to the fact that the latest ecotypes of A.thaliana have special regulatory mechanisms of the physiological functions of DOG1. It was shown that, in a cold climate, seeds of the majority of A. thaliana plants experience deeper dormancy at a high temperature (22°C), which ensures their germination in autumn and flowering in spring, after the end of vernalization. Nevertheless, a portion of seeds was found to be able to germinate at 22°C, possibly suggesting a mixture of alternative strategies of the life cycle of A. thaliana plants in the Karelian populations. In some populations, both winter and summer annuals are present, which creates an adaptive potential for the species to survive in a harsh and unstable environment in the northern periphery of the range of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]