One-way control of FWA imprinting in Arabidopsis endosperm by DNA methylation.
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.
Kinoshita
Tetsu
T
Integrated Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Japan. tekinosh@lab.nig.ac.jp
Miura
Asuka
A
Choi
Yeonhee
Y
Kinoshita
Yuki
Y
Cao
Xiaofeng
X
Jacobsen
Steven E
SE
Fischer
Robert L
RL
Kakutani
Tetsuji
T
D000483:Alleles; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015257:DNA-Cytosine Methylases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing; D018392:Genomic Imprinting; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011058:Pollen; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D019076:Transgenes
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D018744:DNA, Plant; C416366:FWA protein, Arabidopsis; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D015257:DNA-Cytosine Methylases; C499608:MET1 protein, Arabidopsis; D008780:Methyltransferases; C429766:CMT3 protein, Arabidopsis; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases; C463261:DEMETER protein, Arabidopsis; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases