The Polycomb group protein MEDEA and the DNA methyltransferase MET1 interact to repress autonomous endosperm development in Arabidopsis

• DOI: 10.1111/tpj.12070
• Publication Date: 2012-11-12T12:20:57Z
• Authors: Anja Schmidt; Heike J. P. Wöhrmann; Michael T. Raissig; Julia Arand; Jacqueline Gheyse...; Valeria Gagliardini; Christian Heichinger; Joern Walter; Ueli Grossniklaus
• Keywords: Polycomb-group proteins; DNA methyltransferase

In flowering plants, double fertilization of the female gametes, egg and central cell, initiates seed development to give rise a diploid embryo triploid endosperm. absence fertilization, FERTILIZATION-INDEPENDENT SEED Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (FIS-PRC2) represses this developmental process by histone methylation certain target genes. The (FIS) class genes MEDEA (MEA) ENDOSPERM (FIE) encode two core components complex. addition, DNA establishes maintains repression gene activity, for instance via METHYLTRANSFERASE1 (MET1), which symmetric CpG residues. Here, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis MET1 interacts with MEA in vitro yeast two-hybrid assay, similar previously identified interaction mammalian homologues DNMT1 EZH2. share overlapping expression patterns reproductive tissues before after prerequisite an vivo. Importantly, much higher percentage cells initiate endosperm mea-1/MEA; met1-3/MET1 as compared mea-1/MEA mutant plants. at PHERES1 loci, imprinted FIS-PRC2, was affected mea-1 wild-type embryos. conclusion, our data suggest mechanistic link between major epigenetic pathways involved plants physical FIS-PRC2 component MEA. This concerted action is relevant fertilization.