Extensive Maternal DNA Hypomethylation in the Endosperm of Zea mays
- 16 January 2004
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Plant Cell
- Vol. 16 (2) , 510-522
- https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.017780
Abstract
A PCR-based genomic scan has been undertaken to estimate the extent and ratio of maternally versus paternally methylated DNA regions in endosperm, embryo, and leaf of Zea mays (maize). Analysis of several inbred lines and their reciprocal crosses identified a large number of conserved, differentially methylated DNA regions (DMRs) that were specific to the endosperm. DMRs were hypomethylated at specific methylation-sensitive restriction sites upon maternal transmission, whereas upon paternal transmission, the methylation levels were similar to those observed in embryo and leaf. Maternal hypomethylation was extensive and offers a likely explanation for the 13% reduction in methyl-cytosine content of the endosperm compared with leaf tissue. DMRs showed identity to expressed genic regions, were observed early after fertilization, and maintained at a later stage of endosperm development. The implications of extensive maternal hypomethylation with respect to endosperm development and epigenetic reprogramming will be discussed.Keywords
This publication has 50 references indexed in Scilit:
- Paternal mRNA and protein synthesis coincides with male chromatin decondensation in maize zygotesThe Plant Journal, 2002
- 6 Genomic imprinting during seed developmentPublished by Elsevier ,2002
- Early paternal gene activity in ArabidopsisNature, 2001
- Hypomethylation Promotes Autonomous Endosperm Development and Rescues Postfertilization Lethality in fie MutantsPlant Cell, 2000
- DNA methylation directs a time-dependent repression of transcription initiationPublished by Elsevier ,1997
- Differences in DNA methylation patterns are detectable during the dimorphic transition of fungi by amplification of restriction polymorphismsMolecular Genetics and Genomics, 1997
- Maternal‐specific demethylation and expression of specific alleles of zein genes in the endosperm of Zea mays L.The Plant Journal, 1995
- AFLP: a new technique for DNA fingerprintingNucleic Acids Research, 1995
- Methylation-Sensitive Sequence-Specific DNA Binding by the c-Myc Basic RegionScience, 1991
- Undermethylation of structural gene sequences in extraembryonic lineages of the mouseDevelopmental Biology, 1986