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. 1999 Mar;11(3):407–416. doi: 10.1105/tpc.11.3.407

Mutations in FIE, a WD polycomb group gene, allow endosperm development without fertilization.

N Ohad 1, R Yadegari 1, L Margossian 1, M Hannon 1, D Michaeli 1, J J Harada 1, R B Goldberg 1, R L Fischer 1
PMCID: PMC144179  PMID: 10072400

Abstract

A fundamental problem in biology is to understand how fertilization initiates reproductive development. Higher plant reproduction is unique because two fertilization events are required for sexual reproduction. First, a sperm must fuse with the egg to form an embryo. A second sperm must then fuse with the adjacent central cell nucleus that replicates to form an endosperm, which is the support tissue required for embryo and/or seedling development. Here, we report cloning of the Arabidopsis FERTILIZATION-INDEPENDENT ENDOSPERM (FIE) gene. The FIE protein is a homolog of the WD motif-containing Polycomb proteins from Drosophila and mammals. These proteins function as repressors of homeotic genes. A female gametophyte with a loss-of-function allele of fie undergoes replication of the central cell nucleus and initiates endosperm development without fertilization. These results suggest that the FIE Polycomb protein functions to suppress a critical aspect of early plant reproduction, namely, endosperm development, until fertilization occurs.

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Selected References

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