title: RNA-mediated epigenetic regulation of gene expression.
abstract: Diverse classes of RNA, ranging from small to long non-coding RNAs, have emerged as key regulators of gene expression, genome stability and defence against foreign genetic elements. Small RNAs modify chromatin structure and silence transcription by guiding Argonaute-containing complexes to complementary nascent RNA scaffolds and then mediating the recruitment of histone and DNA methyltransferases. In addition, recent advances suggest that chromatin-associated long non-coding RNA scaffolds also recruit chromatin-modifying complexes independently of small RNAs. These co-transcriptional silencing mechanisms form powerful RNA surveillance systems that detect and silence inappropriate transcription events, and provide a memory of these events via self-reinforcing epigenetic loops.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holoch
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Danesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moazed
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly / Q000502:physiology*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D015003:Yeasts
chemical_list: D006570:Heterochromatin; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012313:RNA