Journal
SCIENCE
Volume 303, Issue 5657, Pages 521-523Publisher
AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1126/science.1089835
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- NIGMS NIH HHS [GM60398] Funding Source: Medline
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The Arabidopsis FWA gene was initially identified from late-flowering epigenetic mutants that show ectopic FWA expression associated with heritable hypomethylation of repeats around transcription starting sites. Here, we show that wild-type FWA displays imprinted (maternal origin-specific) expression in endosperm. The FWA imprint depends on the maintenance DNA methyltransferase MET1, as is the case in mammals. Unlike mammals, however, the FWA imprint is not established by allele-specific de novo methylation. It is established by maternal gametophyte-specific gene activation, which depends on a DNA glycosylase gene, DEMETER. Because endosperm does not contribute to the next generation, the activated FWA gene need not be silenced again. Double fertilization enables plants to use such one-way control of imprinting and DNA methylation in endosperm.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available