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Updated: Mar 8, 2026

Determination of DNA Methylation of Imprinted Genes in Arabidopsis Endosperm
Published on: January 28, 2011
DNA methylation and imprinting in plants: machinery and mechanisms
P R V Satyaki1, Mary Gehring1,2
1a Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research , Cambridge , MA , USA.
Abstract:
Imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon in which genes are expressed selectively from either the maternal or paternal alleles. In plants, imprinted gene expression is found in a tissue called the endosperm. Imprinting is often set by a unique epigenomic configuration in which the maternal chromosomes are less DNA methylated than their paternal counterparts. In this review, we synthesize studies that paint a detailed molecular portrait of the distinctive endosperm methylome. We will also discuss the molecular machinery that shapes and modifies this methylome, and the role of DNA methylation in imprinting.
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