Fig. 2

ECT2/ECT3/ECT4 are required for seed germination and post-germination development under ABA treatment. a Phenotypic analysis of the ABA response in WT, ect2/3/4, ect3/4, and ect2/4 seeds grown on 1/2 MS-medium supplemented with 0 (Mock), 0.5, or 0.8 μM ABA under long-day conditions. Representative photographs were taken 8 days after cold stratification. b Statistical analysis of germination rates in WT, ect2/3/4, ect3/4, and ect2/4 plants under ABA treatment. Radicle emergence was used as the morphological marker for germination. At least 40 seeds per genotype were measured in each replicate. Biological triplicates were averaged. Data are presented as the mean ± SE. c–d Statistical analysis of germination rates 4 days after imbibition (c) and of cotyledon greening rates 8 days after imbibition (d) in WT, ect2/3/4, ect3/4, and ect2/4 plants under ABA treatment. Data are presented as the mean ± SE; n = 3 biological replicates. **P < 0.001, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001 (two-sided t-test). e Relative mRNA levels of COR47 and NCED3 in 7-day-old WT, ect2/3/4, ect3/4, and ect2/4 seedlings under Mock and ABA treatment. TUB8 was used as the internal control gene. Data are presented as the mean ± SE; n = 3 biological replicates × 2 technical replicates. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001 (two-sided t-test)