LEAFY COTYLEDONs: old genes with new roles beyond seed development

De Niu; Yuehui He

doi:10.12688/f1000research.21180.1

LEAFY COTYLEDONs: old genes with new roles beyond seed development

F1000Res. 2019 Dec 27:8:F1000 Faculty Rev-2144. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.21180.1. eCollection 2019.

Authors

De Niu¹, Yuehui He¹

Affiliation

¹ National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics & Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

Seed development is a complex process and consists of two phases: embryo morphogenesis and seed maturation. LEAFY COTYLEDON (LEC) transcription factors, first discovered in Arabidopsis thaliana several decades ago, are master regulators of seed development. Here, we first summarize molecular genetic mechanisms underlying the control of embryogenesis and seed maturation by LECs and then provide a brief review of recent findings in the role of LECs in embryonic resetting of the parental 'memory of winter cold' in Arabidopsis. In addition, we discuss various chromatin-based mechanisms underlying developmental silencing of LEC genes throughout the post-embryonic development to terminate the embryonic developmental program.

Keywords: FLC; FUS3; LEC1; LEC2; Seed development; embryonic reprogramming; pioneer transcription factor; vernalization.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Arabidopsis Proteins
CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins
Cotyledon* / genetics
Cotyledon* / growth & development
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant*
Seeds / growth & development

Substances

Arabidopsis Proteins
CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins

Grants and funding

Work in Yuehui He’s laboratory was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation (31830049) of China and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.