title: Genes controlling fertilization-independent seed development in Arabidopsis thaliana.
abstract: We have cloned two genes, FIS1 and FIS2, that control both fertilization independent seed development and postpollination embryo development in Arabidopsis. These genes confer female gametophytic phenotypes. FIS2 encodes a protein with a C2H2 zinc-finger motif and three putative nuclear localization signals, indicating that it is likely to be a transcription factor. FIS1 encodes a protein with homology to the Drosophila Polycomb group gene Enhancer-of-zeste and is identical to the recently described Arabidopsis gene MEDEA. FIS1 is a protein with a number of putative functional domains, including the SET domain present in Enhancer-of-zeste-related proteins. Comparison of the position of the lesions in the fis1 and medea mutant alleles indicates that fis1 is a null allele producing a truncated polypeptide lacking all the protein domains whereas the deduced protein from medea lacks only the SET domain. We present a model of the role of FIS1 and FIS2 gene products in seed development.
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Plant Industry, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bilodeau
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koltunow
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Dennis
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Peacock
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Chaudhury
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005030:Ethylenes; D017343:Genes, Plant; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D063151:Polycomb Repressive Complex 2; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005030:Ethylenes; C117389:FIS2 protein, Arabidopsis; C111712:MEA protein, Arabidopsis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C036216:ethylene; C083329:E(z) protein, Drosophila; D063151:Polycomb Repressive Complex 2