DME — Arabidopsis thaliana

Summary

AT5G04560, known as DME (DEMETER) in Arabidopsis thaliana, encodes a DNA glycosylase with AP lyase activity, featuring domains including Perm-CXXC, RRM_DME, and HhH-GPD, and is associated with DNA demethylase activity. This gene is linked to epigenetic programming in the endosperm, DNA imprinting, and regulation of seed development, as well as processes such as single-strand break repair and cellular response to UV-C. DME has been connected to numerous agronomically relevant traits, including seed size, seed dormancy, germination rate, flowering time, root hair length, nitrate and cytokinin content, copper concentration, self-incompatibility, and responses to high temperature, oxidative stress, and insect damage. It is also associated with phenotypes such as embryo development, male fertility, pollen tube growth, and transposon methylation. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to herbicide sensitivity and abiotic stress responses.