The downregulation of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) expression in plants with low levels of DNA methylation and by vernalization occurs by distinct mechanisms

Date

2005

Authors

Finnegan, E. Jean
Kovac, Kathryn
Jaligot, Estelle
Sheldon, Candice
Peacock, W James
Dennis, Elizabeth

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Abstract

FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), a repressor of flowering, is a major determinant of flowering time in Arabidopsis. FLC expression is repressed by vernalization and in plants with low levels of DNA methylation, resulting in early flowering. This repression is not associated with changes of DNA methylation within the FLC locus in either vernalized q5plants or plants with low levels of DNA methylation. In both cases, there is a reduction of histone H3 trimethyl-lysine 4 (K4) and acetylation of both histones H3 and H4 around the promoter-translation start of FLC. The expression of the two genes flanking FLC is also repressed in both conditions and repression is associated with decreased histone H3 acetylation. The changes in histone modifications at the FLC gene cluster, which are similar in vernalized plants and in plants with reduced DNA methylation, must arise by different mechanisms. VERNALIZATION 1, VERNALIZATION 2 and VERNALIZATION INSENSITIVE 3q6 modulate FLC expression in vernalized plants; these proteins play no role in the downregulation of FLC in plants with low levels of DNA methylation. Chimeric FLC

Description

Keywords

Keywords: DNA; Genes; Ketones; Chromatin immunoprecipitation; DNA methylation; Histone acetylation; VIN3; VRN1; Plants (botany); Genes; Ketones; Nucleic Acids; Plants; Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis protein; DNA binding protein; FLF protein, Arabidopsis; histone; MADS do Chromatin immunoprecipitation; DNA methylation; Histone acetylation; Vernalization; VIN3; VRN1

Citation

Source

The Plant Journal

Type

Journal article

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2037-12-31