Abstract
Genomic imprinting refers to the phenomenon that the expression of a gene copy depends on its parent of origin. The Arabidopsis imprinted FIS (Fertilisation-independent seed) genes, mea, fis2, and fie, play essential roles in the repression of central cell and the regulation of early endosperm development. fis mutants display two phenotypes: autonomous diploid endosperm development when fertilization is absent and un-cellularised endosperm formation when fertilization occurs. The FIS Polycomb protein complex including the above three FIS proteins catalyzes histone H3 K27 tri-methylation on target loci. DME (DEMETER), a DNA glycosylase, and AtMET1 (Methyltransferase1), a DNA methyltransferase, are involved in the regulation of imprinted expression of both mea and fis2. This review summarizes the studies on the Arabidopsis imprinted FIS genes and other related genes. Recent works have shown that the insertion of transposons may affect nearby gene expression, which may be the main driving force behind the evolution of genomic imprinting. This summary covers the achievements on Arabidopsis imprinted genes will provide important information for studies on genomic imprinting in the important crops such as rice and maize.
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