Temporal genomic imprinting regulates grain filling in barley
- 1Institute of Experimental Botany (IEB), Czech Acad Sci
Abstract
In cereals, the persistent endosperm accumulates starch and storage proteins, making their grains a major source of food and feed. Early grain development is epigenetically controlled through the parent-of-origin-specific expression of imprinted genes in the endosperm that regulate endosperm proliferation, nutrient accumulation and embryo nourishment. Imprinted genes have been identified in several major cereals, and a few have been functionally characterized. However, it is unclear how imprinted genes regulate the accumulation of storage compounds in cereal grains. Through spatiotemporal transcriptome analysis of 255 imprinted genes in barley (Hordeum vulgare), we identify endosperm transfer cells in grains as a hotspot of expression of imprinted genes. Furthermore, we show that transcription factor LYS3 dynamically regulates grain filling in barley through early expression of the maternal allele, followed by partial activation of the paternal allele.
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BibTeX
@misc{kovacik2026temporal,
title = {{Temporal genomic imprinting regulates grain filling in barley}},
author = {M. Kovacik and A. Lampar and A. Nowicka and M. Peirats-Llobet and P. Saly and K. Trafford and Z. Korchanova and K. Kaduchova and B. Strejckova and M. W. Rasmussen and S. Knudsen and A. Sreeprakash and M. Cervenkova and T. Dobisova and C. Dockter and J. Whelan and C. Lafon Placette and A. Pecinka},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.64898/2026.11.04.764152},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.04.764152v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Temporal genomic imprinting regulates grain filling in barley
AU - M. Kovacik
AU - A. Lampar
AU - A. Nowicka
AU - M. Peirats-Llobet
AU - P. Saly
AU - K. Trafford
AU - Z. Korchanova
AU - K. Kaduchova
AU - B. Strejckova
AU - M. W. Rasmussen
AU - S. Knudsen
AU - A. Sreeprakash
AU - M. Cervenkova
AU - T. Dobisova
AU - C. Dockter
AU - J. Whelan
AU - C. Lafon Placette
AU - A. Pecinka
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.11.04.764152
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.04.764152v1
AB - In cereals, the persistent endosperm accumulates starch and storage proteins, making their grains a major source of food and feed. Early grain development is epigenetically controlled through the parent-of-origin-specific expression of imprinted genes in the endosperm that regulate endosperm proliferation, nutrient accumulation and embryo nourishment. Imprinted genes have been identified in several major cereals, and a few have been functionally characterized. However, it is unclear how imprinted genes regulate the accumulation of storage compounds in cereal grains. Through spatiotemporal transcriptome analysis of 255 imprinted genes in barley (Hordeum vulgare), we identify endosperm transfer cells in grains as a hotspot of expression of imprinted genes. Furthermore, we show that transcription factor LYS3 dynamically regulates grain filling in barley through early expression of the maternal allele, followed by partial activation of the paternal allele.
ER -