title: Vernalization-repression of Arabidopsis FLC requires promoter sequences but not antisense transcripts.
abstract: The repression of Arabidopsis FLC expression by vernalization (extended cold) has become a model for understanding polycomb-associated epigenetic regulation in plants. Antisense and sense non-coding RNAs have been respectively implicated in initiation and maintenance of FLC repression by vernalization. We show that the promoter and first exon of the FLC gene are sufficient to initiate repression during vernalization; this initial repression of FLC does not require antisense transcription. Long-term maintenance of FLC repression requires additional regions of the gene body, including those encoding sense non-coding transcripts.
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Plant Industry, Canberra, Australia. chris.helliwell@csiro.au
authors.forename: Chris A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Helliwell
authors.forename: Masumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: E Jean
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Finnegan
authors.forename: Diana M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Buzas
authors.forename: Elizabeth S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Dennis
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000502:physiology*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005091:Exons; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020320:Oligoribonucleotides, Antisense / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C418902:At5g10140 protein, Arabidopsis; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D020320:Oligoribonucleotides, Antisense