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A Polycomb-based switch underlying quantitative epigenetic memory

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew Angel

    (John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK)

  • Jie Song

    (John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK)

  • Caroline Dean

    (John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK)

  • Martin Howard

    (John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK)

Abstract

Silencing the memory of winter Vernalization, by which plants perceive and retain a memory of winter that allows them to germinate or flower in spring, is a classic epigenetic process. In Arabidopsis thaliana, it involves Polycomb-based silencing of the floral repressor FLC during cold periods. FLC then generates stable silencing when temperatures rise. A combination of mathematical modelling and experiment has been used to generate a quantitative model of the role of FLC in vernalization. A tightly localized nucleation region of Polycomb silencing generated in the cold seems to be sufficient to switch the epigenetic state of the FLC locus after return to the warm, with quantitative silencing achieved by the fraction of cells that switch to the silenced state.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Angel & Jie Song & Caroline Dean & Martin Howard, 2011. "A Polycomb-based switch underlying quantitative epigenetic memory," Nature, Nature, vol. 476(7358), pages 105-108, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:476:y:2011:i:7358:d:10.1038_nature10241
    DOI: 10.1038/nature10241
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    Cited by:

    1. Linlin Zhao & Sarah Richards & Franziska Turck & Markus Kollmann, 2020. "Information integration and decision making in flowering time control," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(9), pages 1-14, September.
    2. Guillaume Harmange & Raúl A. Reyes Hueros & Dylan L. Schaff & Benjamin Emert & Michael Saint-Antoine & Laura C. Kim & Zijian Niu & Shivani Nellore & Mitchell E. Fane & Gretchen M. Alicea & Ashani T. W, 2023. "Disrupting cellular memory to overcome drug resistance," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, December.
    3. Graeme J. Thorn & Christopher T. Clarkson & Anne Rademacher & Hulkar Mamayusupova & Gunnar Schotta & Karsten Rippe & Vladimir B. Teif, 2022. "DNA sequence-dependent formation of heterochromatin nanodomains," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.

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