Identification and disruption of an Arabidopsis zinc finger gene controlling seed germination

The Arabidopsis DAG1 gene, which encodes a zinc finger transcription factor of the Dof family, has been shown to be involved in control of seed germination. A mutant line with one T-DNA insertion in DAG1 has been isolated. The effect of the mutation is maternal. Seeds from homozygous knockout dag1-1 plants do not develop dormancy without light. They will germinate in total darkness. In situ mRNA hybridizations show DAG1 expression in the vascular tissue in flowers and maturing fruit, not in the seed.