The study used genome‑wide ribosome profiling together with RNA‑seq to dissect translational regulation during the shift from seed dormancy to germination in Arabidopsis thaliana. It found that dormant seeds maintain a poised translational state with ribosomes pre‑positioned on stored mRNAs, and that selective changes in translational efficiency—particularly involving uORF‑mediated repression—drive germination independent of transcript levels. Functional assays confirmed that specific uORFs act as translational checkpoints during early imbibition.

The study used ribosome profiling to map translational activity across distinct physiological stages of Arabidopsis thaliana seed germination, revealing unique ribosome association patterns in dry seeds and identifying specific codon pause sites and upstream open reading frames (uORFs). Start‑codon stalling in dry seeds correlates with an adenine‑rich motif, and non‑coding RNAs previously thought to be untranslated were found to be translated, linking these features to adaptive control mechanisms during early germination.