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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Efficient and Rapid Isolation of Early-stage Embryos from Arabidopsis thaliana Seeds
Published on: June 7, 2013
Partially redundant functions of two SET-domain polycomb-group proteins in controlling initiation of seed development
Dongfang Wang1, Mark D Tyson, Shawn S Jackson
1Department of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, 85721-0036, USA.
Abstract:
In Arabidopsis, a complex of Polycomb-group (PcG) proteins functions in the female gametophyte to control the initiation of seed development. Mutations in the PcG genes, including MEDEA (MEA) and FERTILIZATION-INDEPENDENT SEED 2 (FIS2), produce autonomous seeds where endosperm proliferation occurs in the absence of fertilization. By using a yeast two-hybrid screen, we identified MEA and a related protein, SWINGER (SWN), as SET-domain partners of FIS2. Localization data indicated that all three proteins are present in the female gametophyte. Although single-mutant swn plants did not show any defects, swn mutations enhanced the mea mutant phenotype in producing autonomous seeds. Thus, MEA and SWN perform partially redundant functions in controlling the initiation of endosperm development before fertilization in Arabidopsis.
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