title: DNA methylation controls histone H3 lysine 9 methylation and heterochromatin assembly in Arabidopsis.
abstract: We propose a model for heterochromatin assembly that links DNA methylation with histone methylation and DNA replication. The hypomethylated Arabidopsis mutants ddm1 and met1 were used to investigate the relationship between DNA methylation and chromatin organization. Both mutants show a reduction of heterochromatin due to dispersion of pericentromeric low-copy sequences away from heterochromatic chromocenters. DDM1 and MET1 control heterochromatin assembly at chromocenters by their influence on DNA maintenance (CpG) methylation and subsequent methylation of histone H3 lysine 9. In addition, DDM1 is required for deacetylation of histone H4 lysine 16. Analysis of F(1) hybrids between wild-type and hypomethylated mutants revealed that DNA methylation is epigenetically inherited and represents the genomic imprint that is required to maintain pericentromeric heterochromatin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytogenetics, Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466 Gatersleben, Germany.
authors.forename: Wim J J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Soppe
authors.forename: Zuzana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jasencakova
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Houben
authors.forename: Tetsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kakutani
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meister
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.forename: Paul F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Fransz
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C118957:DDM1 protein, Arabidopsis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006570:Heterochromatin; D006657:Histones; D014157:Transcription Factors