Single nucleus analysis of Arabidopsis seeds reveals imprinting dynamics
Seeds are the basis of agriculture, yet their full transcriptional complexity has remained unknown. We used single-nucleus RNA-sequencing to characterize developing Arabidopsis thaliana seeds, with a focus on endosperm. Endosperm, a site of gene imprinting, mediates the relationship between the maternal parent and embryo. We identified new cell types in the chalazal endosperm region, which interfaces with maternal tissue for nutrient unloading. We further demonstrated that the extent of parental bias of maternally expressed imprinted genes varies with cell cycle phase, and that imprinting of paternally expressed imprinted genes is strongest in chalazal endosperm. These data indicate imprinting is heterogenous and suggest that parental conflict, which is proposed to drive the evolution of imprinting, is fiercest at the boundary between filial and maternal tissues.
Date: 23 November 2020, 17:00 (Monday, 7th week, Michaelmas 2020)
Venue: Zoom, registration not required
Speaker: Professor Mary Gehring (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Organiser: Oxford University Biological Society (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address: oxfordbiologicalsoc@gmail.com
Part of: Oxford BioSoc MT webinar series
Booking required?: Not required
Booking url: https://zoom.us/j/96115937798?pwd=VDgxdWU1VldyRVhrUmRvSDIwWmsrdz09
Audience: Public
Editor: Kaylin Chong