Maternal epigenetic regulation of embryonic patterning in plants.

Maternal H3K27me3 epigenetic changes in integuments regulate embryonic patterning by controlling auxin transport genes AUX1 and LAX1 in plants.

• Why it matters: Understanding maternal epigenetic mechanisms is essential because they influence offspring development, yet their specific roles in embryogenesis remain largely unknown.
• What they did: The study profiled H3K27me3 in maternal tissues and showed that dynamic epigenetic modifications activate auxin-transport genes, affecting auxin accumulation at the embryo attachment site.
• The result: Disruption of H3K27me3 demethylation or AUX1/LAX1 expression reduces auxin in micropylar integuments, impairing maternal-to-embryo auxin transport and embryonic patterning.