title: The histone methyltransferase SDG8 regulates shoot branching in Arabidopsis.
abstract: Histone lysine methylation is an evolutionally conserved modification involved in determining chromatin states associated with gene activation or repression. Here we report that the Arabidopsis SET domain group 8 (SDG8) protein is a histone H3 methyltransferase involved in regulating shoot branching. Knockout mutations of the SDG8 gene markedly reduce the global levels of histone H3 trimethylation at lysines 9 and 36 as well as dimethylation at lysine 36. The sdg8 mutants produce more shoot branches than wild-type plants. The expression of SPS/BUS (supershoot/bushy), a repressor of shoot branching, is decreased in sdg8 mutants, while UGT74E2 (UDP-glycosyltransferase 74E2), a gene associated with increased shoot branching, is up-regulated in sdg8 mutants. The altered expression of SPS/BUS and UGT74E2 correlates with changed histone H3 methylation at these loci. These results suggest that SDG8 regulates shoot branching via controlling the methylation states of its target genes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mississippi State University, 32 Creelman Street, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
authors.forename: Gaofeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Din-Pow
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jiaxu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D000076983:Histone Methyltransferases; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism*; D008745:Methylation; D009154:Mutation; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D011496:Protein Methyltransferases; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D006657:Histones; D000076983:Histone Methyltransferases; D011496:Protein Methyltransferases; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; D005964:Glucosyltransferases; C515049:UGT72E2 protein, Arabidopsis