AUTHOR=Ríos Gabino , Leida Carmen , Conejero Ana , Badenes María Luisa 

TITLE=Epigenetic regulation of bud dormancy events in perennial plants

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=5

YEAR=2014

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2014.00247

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2014.00247

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Release of bud dormancy in perennial plants resembles vernalization in <italic>Arabidopsis thaliana</italic> and cereals. In both cases, a certain period of chilling is required for accomplishing the reproductive phase, and several transcription factors with the MADS-box domain perform a central regulatory role in these processes. The expression of <italic>DORMANCY-ASSOCIATED MADS-box</italic> (<italic>DAM</italic>)-related genes has been found to be up-regulated in dormant buds of numerous plant species, such as poplar, raspberry, leafy spurge, blackcurrant, Japanese apricot, and peach. Moreover, functional evidence suggests the involvement of <italic>DAM</italic> genes in the regulation of seasonal dormancy in peach. Recent findings highlight the presence of genome-wide epigenetic modifications related to dormancy events, and more specifically the epigenetic regulation of <italic>DAM</italic>-related genes in a similar way to <italic>FLOWERING LOCUS C</italic>, a key integrator of vernalization effectors on flowering initiation in <italic>Arabidopsis</italic>. We revise the most relevant molecular and genomic contributions in the field of bud dormancy, and discuss the increasing evidence for chromatin modification involvement in the epigenetic regulation of seasonal dormancy cycles in perennial plants.</p>