title: The ASYMMETRIC LEAVES complex maintains repression of KNOX homeobox genes via direct recruitment of Polycomb-repressive complex2.
abstract: Polycomb-repressive complexes (PRCs) ensure the correct spatiotemporal expression of numerous key developmental regulators. Despite their pivotal role, how PRCs are recruited to specific targets remains largely unsolved, particularly in plants. Here we show that the Arabidopsis ASYMMETRIC LEAVES complex physically interacts with PRC2 and recruits this complex to the homeobox genes BREVIPEDICELLUS and KNAT2 to stably silence these stem cell regulators in differentiating leaves. The recruitment mechanism resembles the Polycomb response element-based recruitment of PRC2 originally defined in flies and provides the first such example in plants. Combined with recent studies in mammals, our findings reveal a conserved paradigm to epigenetically regulate homeobox gene expression during development.
authors.affiliation: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA.
authors.forename: Mukesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lodha
authors.forename: Cristina F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Marco
authors.forename: Marja C P
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Timmermans
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D063151:Polycomb Repressive Complex 2; D011485:Protein Binding; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C092213:KNAT2 protein, Arabidopsis; C574170:PRC2 protein, Arabidopsis; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D063151:Polycomb Repressive Complex 2