Parent-of-origin effects on seed development in Arabidopsis thaliana require DNA methylation.

摘要: Some genes in mammals and flowering plants are subject to parental imprinting, a process by which differential epigenetic marks imposed on male female gametes so that one set of alleles is silenced chromosomes contributed the mother while another paternal chromosomes. Therefore, each genome contributes different active offspring, develop abnormally if balance disturbed. In Arabidopsis, seeds inheriting extra maternal genomes show distinctive phenotypes such as low weight inhibition mitosis endosperm, result reciprocal high endosperm overproliferation. DNA methylation known be an essential component imprinting mechanism mammals, but there less evidence for this plants. For present study, seed development was examined crosses using transgenic Arabidopsis line with reduced methylation. Crosses between hypomethylated wild-type diploid produced similar normal ploidies. This consistent model hypomethylation prevents silencing would normally only when inherited from other parent - thus phenocopying effects genomes. These results suggest important role parent-of-origin effects, inference The phenotype biparentally extreme than uniparentally seeds. observation severely affected both sexes (rather just one) 'neutralized' respect supports hypothesis not necessary regulate development.