title: Proposed mechanism for the initiation of transposable element silencing by the RDR6-directed DNA methylation pathway.
abstract: The activity of transposable elements is epigenetically suppressed by both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. We recently identified a direct connection between the small RNA-mediated post-transcriptional mRNA degradation of actively transcribing transposable elements and the de novo methylation of transposable element DNA, providing a mechanistic link between these two established pathways of transposable element silencing. Here we provide a model for the initiation, establishment and epigenetic maintenance of transposable element silencing that incorporates recent data in this rapidly emerging field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics; The Ohio State University; Columbus, OH USA.
authors.forename: Kaushik
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Panda
authors.forename: R Keith
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Slotkin
mesh_terms: D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D008957:Models, Genetic; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D018749:RNA, Plant; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases
keywords: DNA methylation; RNA-directed DNA Methylation; RNAi; epigenetic; silencing; small interfering RNA; transposable element; transposon