SCIENCE, SCIENTISTS, AND SOCIETY

This invention relates to the isolation and characterization of a Polycomb gene from Arabidopsis with maternal control of embryogenesis. The novel gene and gene product may be used to manipulate embryo and endosperm cell proliferation for the generation of parthenocarpy, seed specific characteristics, inhibition of propagation of undesirable plants or apomixis in Arabidopsis and other plant types. Two mutations of this gene have also been identified which identify maternal effect embryo lethality.