Abstract

Seed dormancy enables plant seeds to time germination until environmental conditions become favorable for seedling sur-vival. This trait has high adaptive value and is of great agri-cultural relevance. The endosperm is a reproductive tissue formed after fertilization that in addition to support embryo growth has major roles in establishing seed dormancy. Many genes adopt parent-of-origin specific expression patterns in the endosperm, a phenomenon that has been termed genomic imprinting. Imprinted genes are targeted by epigenetic mech-anisms acting before and after fertilization. Recent studies revealed that imprinted genes are involved in establishing seed dormancy, highlighting a new mechanism of parental control over this adaptive trait. Here, we review the regulatory mech-anisms establishing genomic imprinting and their effect on seed dormancy.

Keywords

Endosperm; Seed; Dormancy; Imprinting; Histone modifications; DNA methylation

Published in

Current Opinion in Plant Biology
2022, volume: 69, article number: 102264
Publisher: CURRENT BIOLOGY LTD

Authors' information