Imprinting in maize

Genomic imprinting in the maize endosperm results in differential expression of maternal and paternal alleles depending on their parental origin. The availability of sequence polymorphisms between different maize inbred lines and the large persistent endosperm of maize collectively provide a unique platform for studying the occurrence and mechanisms of imprinting in plants. Several imprinted genes have been identified in maize by targeted analyses. Genomic screens of allele-specific expression patterns in endosperm tissue have identified additional candidates for imprinting. Imprinted expression in maize is often associated with allele-specific DNA methylation states and it is likely that chromatin modifications are also involved in the establishment and maintenance of imprints.