Role of DNA methylation in reproductive success in plants

DNA甲基化是控制许多真核生物基因组稳定性和基因表达的关键表观遗传标记。在植物中，大量的DNA去甲基化发生在雄性和雌性配子伴侣细胞中，这是一个对生殖至关重要的过程。我们最近的研究表明，活跃的DNA去甲基化是激活对拟南芥花粉功能重要的基因所必需的，这些基因形成了一个假定的信号复合物，我们将在本项目中对其进行表征。然后，根据我们的观察，亲本生殖结构之间的相互作用也受到雌性侧DNA甲基化的控制，我们将揭示在受精过程中这种新型亲本交流的分子基础。最后，我们将扩展我们的方法来探索玉米DNA去甲基化的程度和功能，这表明了不同的生殖策略和表观基因组组织，以获得生殖过程中表观遗传重置的一般原理。

DNA methylation is a key epigenetic mark involved in the control of genome stability and gene expression in many eukaryotes. In plants, substantial DNA demethylation takes place in the male and female gamete companion cells, a process that is critical for reproduction. We have recently shown that active DNA demethylation is required to activate genes important for pollen function in Arabidopsis, which form a putative signalling complex that we will characterize in this project. Then, based on our observations that interaction between the parental reproductive structures is also controlled by DNA methylation on the female side, we will uncover the molecular bases of this novel type of parental communication during the fertilization process. Finally, we will extend our approach to explore the degree and function of DNA demethylation in maize, which shows a different reproductive strategy and epigenome organization, to obtain general principles of epigenetic resetting during reproduction.