title: Physical clustering of FLC alleles during Polycomb-mediated epigenetic silencing in vernalization.
abstract: Vernalization, the promotion of flowering by cold, involves Polycomb-mediated epigenetic silencing of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). Cold progressively promotes cell-autonomous switching to a silenced state. Here, we used live-cell imaging of FLC-lacO to monitor changes in nuclear organization during vernalization. FLC-lacO alleles physically cluster during the cold and generally remain so after plants are returned to warm. Clustering is dependent on the Polycomb trans-factors necessary for establishment of the FLC silenced state but not on LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN 1, which functions to maintain silencing. These data support the view that physical clustering may be a common feature of Polycomb-mediated epigenetic switching mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Filomena
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Lucia
authors.forename: Joshua S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Mylne
authors.forename: Danling
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Nobuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohmido
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pendle
authors.forename: Naohiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dean
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000502:physiology*; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C418902:At5g10140 protein, Arabidopsis; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins; C442836:VRN2 protein, Arabidopsis; C518076:VRN5 protein, Arabidopsis; C443901:like heterochromatin protein 1
keywords: FLC; Polycomb; epigenetic; nuclear organization; vernalization