title: DNA methylation as a system of plant genomic immunity.
abstract: Transposons are selfish genetic sequences that can increase their copy number and inflict substantial damage on their hosts. To combat these genomic parasites, plants have evolved multiple pathways to identify and silence transposons by methylating their DNA. Plants have also evolved mechanisms to limit the collateral damage from the antitransposon machinery. In this review, we examine recent developments that have elucidated many of the molecular workings of these pathways. We also highlight the evidence that the methylation and demethylation pathways interact, indicating that plants have a highly sophisticated, integrated system of transposon defense that has an important role in the regulation of gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: M Yvonne
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. Electronic address: danielz@berkeley.edu.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zilberman
mesh_terms: D019175:DNA Methylation; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing; D018745:Genome, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*; D049490:Systems Biology
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements