How plants switch genes during development

For the proper growth and development of all organisms, it is important not only to have genes, but also to turn those genes on or off at the right time. For example, during germination, plants first use the reserves stored in the seed, but as soon as the sprout emerges from the ground and the first green leaves appear, "plant photovoltaics" are turned on, and the plant begins to create the energy reserves using sunlight. But what exactly controls this gene-switching in the plant?

A team of scientists from Iva Mozgová's laboratory has discovered that a special complex of molecules called PRC2 (from "Polycomb repressive complex 2"), which the scientists have already known as a genetic switch for some time, plays a crucial role. First, under certain conditions - but still in the dark - it turns off genes responsible for processing the seed's energy reserves, and when the light is available, it turns off also the other genes connected with germination, so that the plant can start the next phase of its development without interference.

The discovery of scientists from the Biology Centre, published in the prestigious journal Plant Cell, is another piece of knowledge that will not only allow us to better understand how plant development is controlled and coordinated, but in the future may also contribute to improving the resistance of agricultural crops or increasing their productivity.

Scientific paper: (scientists from Biology Centre CAS in bold)

Samo N., Trejo Arellano M., Gahurová L., Erban A., Ebert A., Rivière Q., Kubásek J., Aflaki F., Hönig Mondeková H., Schlereth A., Dubois A., Zhou M., Novák O., Šantrůček J., Bouyer D., Roudier F., Kopka J., Mozgová I. (2025) Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 facilitates the transition from heterotrophy to photoautotrophy during seedling emergence Plant Cell 37(7): koaf148. DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koaf148