The Polycomb group (PcG) chromatin remodelling proteins have conserved roles in the stable maintenance of gene expression patterns. In Arabidopsis, mutations in the genes of the FERTILIZATION INDEPENDENT SEED (FIS) PcG complex cause seed abortion when maternally inherited. In the case of two FIS-class gene mutations, seed abortion occurs because these genes(MEA and FIS2) are paternally imprinted in the endosperm. On p. 3639, Leroy and colleagues now report that the FIS gene MSI1 is not similarly imprinted; MSI1 is bi-allelically expressed in the embryo and endosperm, and its early paternal expression does not rescue msi1mutant seeds. By contrast, its expression in msi1 mutant female gametophytes (which enclose the female gamete) does restore seed development. From their findings, the authors conclude that an intact FIS complex is required in the female gametophyte to maintain normal gene expression patterns in the central cell (from which the endosperm...
The Company of Biologists Workshops
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Call for papers – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues
Development invites you to submit your latest research to our upcoming special issue – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues. This issue will be coordinated by Guest Editors Meritxell Huch (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany) and Mansi Srivastava (Harvard University and Museum of Comparative Zoology, USA), working alongside our team of academic Editors. Submit your articles by 30 May 2025.
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A case for broadening our view of mechanism in developmental biology
In this Perspective, B. Duygu Özpolat and colleagues survey researchers on their views on what it takes to infer mechanism in developmental biology. They examine what factors shape our idea of what we mean by ‘mechanism’ and suggest a path forward that embraces a broad outlook on the diversity of studies that advance knowledge in our field.
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