Hormonomics profiles revealed the mechanisms of cold stratification in breaking the dormancy during seed germination and emergence process of Polygonatum sibiricum Red

Polygonatum sibiricum Red, known as Huangjing in Chinese, is a perennial plant valued in traditional Chinese medicine and is a nutritional food ingredient. With increasing market demand outpacing wild resource availability, cultivation has become essential for sustainable production. However, the cultivation of P. sibiricum is challenged by the double dormancy characteristics of seeds, which include embryo and physiological dormancy. This affected the germination of seeds and the establishment of seedlings. This study investigates the role of plant hormones in breaking seed dormancy and regulating germination and emergence in P. sibiricum. We found that cold stratification at 4°C for over 70 d significantly alleviates seed dormancy, associated with changes in endogenous hormone levels. Auxin, gibberellin, abscisic acid, cytokinin, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene were identified as key players in these processes. Exogenous applications of GA3 and 2-coumarate (2-hydroxycinnamic acid) significantly enhanced seed germination, while 6-BA and GA3 promoted corm growth and development. In conclusion, our research provides insights into the hormonal regulation of seed dormancy and germination in P. sibiricum, offering valuable strategies for improving cultivation practices. Further studies are needed to explore the specific mechanisms of hormone interactions and to develop optimized germination and seedling establishment strategies for this medicinally important plant.黄精（Polygonatum sibiricum Red）是一种多年生草本植物，既是传统中医药中的常用药材，也是兼具营养属性的食用原料。随着市场需求持续增长，野生资源供给已无法匹配市场规模，人工栽培成为实现其可持续生产的必要途径。 然而，黄精的种子存在双休眠特性，包含胚休眠与生理休眠两种类型，这严重制约了种子萌发与幼苗定植的效率。本研究围绕植物激素在破除黄精种子休眠、调控萌发与出苗过程中的作用展开系统探究。 研究发现，4℃低温层积处理时长超过70天可显著缓解种子休眠，该效果与内源激素水平的动态变化密切相关。生长素（Auxin）、赤霉素（gibberellin）、脱落酸（abscisic acid）、细胞分裂素（cytokinin）、水杨酸（salicylic acid）、茉莉酸（jasmonic acid）及乙烯（ethylene）被证实为调控该过程的关键因子。外源施加赤霉素3（GA3）与香豆酸（2-coumarate，2-羟基肉桂酸）可显著提升种子萌发率，而6-苄氨基腺嘌呤（6-BA）与GA3则能促进块茎的生长与发育。 综上，本研究阐明了激素调控黄精种子休眠与萌发的潜在机制，为优化其栽培实践提供了极具价值的技术思路。未来仍需进一步探究激素间互作的具体分子机制，并开发适配该药用植物的高效萌发与幼苗定植优化方案。