Journal Article

Maternal control of integument cell elongation and zygotic control of endosperm growth are coordinated to determine seed size in Arabidopsis

Garcia, Damien, Reproduction et développement des plantes (RDP) ; École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon) ; Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL) ; Université de Lyon-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Berger, Frédéric, Fitzgerald, Jonathan, N

2005

Overview

We use Arabidopsis thaliana as a model to investigate coordination of cell proliferation and cell elongation in the three components that develop side by side in the seed. Two of these, the embryo and its nurturing annex, the endosperm, are placed under zygotic control and develop within the seed integument placed under maternal control. We show that integument cell proliferation and endosperm growth are largely independent from each other. By contrast, prevention of cell elongation in the integument by the mutation transparent testa glabra2 (ttg2) restricts endosperm and seed growth. Conversely, endosperm growth controlled by the HAIKU (IKU) genetic pathway modulates integument cell elongation. Combinations of TTG2 defective seed integument with reduction of endosperm size by iku mutations identify integument cell elongation and endosperm growth as the primary regulators of seed size. Our results strongly suggest that a cross talk between maternal and zygotic controls represents the primary regulator of the coordinated control of seed size in Arabidopsis.

• Publisher: American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB),CCSD,American Society of Plant Biologists
• Subject: Arabidopsis / Arabidopsis - cytology / Arabidopsis - genetics / Arabidopsis - growth & development / Arabidopsis thaliana / Cell Enlargement / Cell growth / Cell Proliferation / cytology / embryology / Embryos / Endosperm / endosperm development / Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - genetics / genes / Genetic mutation / genetics / growth & development / Inheritance Patterns / Inheritance Patterns - genetics / Integument / integument cell elongation / maternal effect / mutants / Mutation / Mutation - genetics / Plant cells / Plant Epidermis / Plant Epidermis - cytology / Plant Epidermis - genetics / Plant Epidermis - growth & development / Plants / Reproduction / Reproduction - genetics / seed development / seed integument / Seed size / Seeds / Seeds - embryology / Seeds - genetics / Seeds - growth & development / Signal Transduction / Signal Transduction - genetics / Testa