ABRUPT DNA METHYLATION MIGHT HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR ORGIN OF HETEROSPORY

Isoetes pantil, an aquaic lycopod is the only living plant wherein heterospory is known to occur in one and the same sporangium. On the basis of DNA methylation studies this paper suggests that heterospory might have originated in microsporangium of Isoetes pantil possibly on an account of abrupt DNA Methylation (hypo). Quite likely, a similar mechanism might have been triggered in early evolutionary strategies during Carboniferous period; nonetheless, Isoetes is a dedcendent of a reduction series of giant lycopods. This rare phenomenon has been triggered in bisporangiate plants of I. pantil probably on account of rare-gene recombinations.