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

SLU Authors

• Sato, Hikaru

  • Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Köhler, Claudia

  • Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Max Planck Society

UKÄ Subject classification

Genetics and Breeding


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102264

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/119077