Aberrant imprinting may underlie evolution of parthenogenesis

Sci Rep. 2018 Jul 13;8(1):10626. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-27863-7.

Abstract

Genomic imprinting confers parent-of-origin-specific gene expression, thus non-equivalent and complementary function of parental genomes. As a consequence, genomic imprinting poses an epigenetic barrier to parthenogenesis in sexual organisms. We report aberrant imprinting in Boechera, a genus in which apomicts evolved from sexuals multiple times. Maternal activation of a MADS-box gene, a homolog of which is imprinted and paternally expressed in the sexual relative Arabidopsis, is accompanied by locus-specific DNA methylation changes in apomicts where parental imprinting seems to be relaxed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biological Evolution
  • Brassicaceae / genetics*
  • DNA Methylation
  • Epigenomics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Genomic Imprinting*
  • MADS Domain Proteins / genetics*
  • Parthenogenesis*
  • Plant Proteins / genetics*

Substances

  • MADS Domain Proteins
  • Plant Proteins