Trans-chromosomal methylation.
The epigenome plays a vital role in helping to maintain and regulate cell functions in all organisms. Alleles with differing epigenetic marks in the same nucleus do not function in isolation but can interact in trans to modify the epigenetic state of one or both alleles. This is particularly evident when two divergent epigenomes come together in a hybrid resulting in thousands of alterations to the methylome. These changes mainly involve the methylation patterns at one allele being changed to resemble the methylation patterns of the other allele, in processes we have termed trans-chromosomal methylation (TCM) and trans-chromosomal demethylation (TCdM). These processes are primarily modulated by siRNAs and the RNA directed DNA methylation pathway. Drawing from other examples of trans-allelic interactions, we describe the process of TCM and TCdM and the effect such changes can have on genome activity. Trans-allelic epigenetic interactions may be a common occurrence in many biological systems.
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Plant Industry, Canberra, Australia.
Ian
I
Greaves
Michael
M
Groszmann
Elizabeth S
ES
Dennis
W James
WJ
Peacock
D000818:Animals; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D033481:Chromosomes, Mammalian; D032461:Chromosomes, Plant; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D018745:Genome, Plant; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics
D034741:RNA, Small Interfering