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Epigenetic mechanisms underlying genomic imprinting in plants
Claudia Köhler1, Philip Wolff, Charles Spillane
1Department of Plant Biology and Forest Genetics, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden. claudia.kohler@slu.se
Annual Review of Plant Biology
|March 13, 2012
Summary
Genomic imprinting, where gene expression depends on parental origin, evolved independently in plants and mammals. This process, crucial for nutrient transfer, is regulated by DNA and histone methylation.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Epigenetics
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Genomic imprinting, the parent-of-origin-specific gene expression, has evolved independently in flowering plants and mammals.
- Imprinting occurs in key embryo-nourishing tissues: the placenta in mammals and the endosperm in plants.
- Some imprinted genes are hypothesized to regulate maternal nutrient supply to the offspring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the evolutionary convergence and molecular mechanisms of genomic imprinting in plants and mammals.
- To investigate the association between transposon activity and the evolution of imprinted loci.
- To understand the role of epigenetic modifications in maintaining imprinted gene expression patterns.
Main Methods:
- Genome-wide analyses of imprinted genes in plants.
- Comparative studies of imprinted gene expression across plant lineages (monocots and dicots).
- Investigation of epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation and Polycomb group-mediated histone methylation.
Main Results:
- Many imprinted genes in plants are located near transposon or repeat sequences, suggesting a role for transposon insertions in imprinting evolution.
- Conserved imprinted gene expression between monocots and dicots indicates long-term selection maintaining these loci.
- Epigenetic regulation involves antagonistic DNA methylation and histone methylation, determining allele-specific expression.
Conclusions:
- Genomic imprinting is a convergent evolutionary phenomenon in plants and mammals with shared functional roles in nutrient allocation.
- Transposon activity may have significantly contributed to the emergence and evolution of imprinted genes.
- Antagonistic epigenetic modifications, specifically DNA and histone methylation, are critical for establishing and maintaining imprinted expression patterns.
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