최연희 교수

The Arabidopsis FWA gene was initially identified from late-flowering epigenetic mutants that show ectopic FWA expression associated with heritable hypomethylation of repeats around transcription starting sites. Here, we show that wild-type FWA displays imprinted (maternal origin-specific) expression in endosperm. The FWA imprint depends on the maintenance DNA methyltransferase MET1, as is the case in mammals. Unlike mammals, however, the FWA imprint is not established by allele-specific de novo

In flowering plants, two cells are fertilized in the haploid female gametophyte. Egg and sperm nuclei fuse to form the embryo. A second sperm nucleus fuses with the central cell nucleus, which replicates to generate the endosperm, a tissue that supports embryo development. The FERTILIZATION-INDEPENDENT ENDOSPERM (FIE) and MEDEA (MEA) genes encode WD and SET domain polycomb proteins, respectively. In the absence of fertilization, a female gametophyte with a loss-of-function fie or mea allele init

The epigenetic regulation of the floral repressor Flowering Locus C (FLC) is one of the critical factors that determine flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana. Although many FLC regulators, and their effects on FLC chromatin, have been extensively studied, the epigenetic resetting of FLC has not yet been thoroughly characterized. Here, we investigate the FLC expression during gametogenesis and embryogenesis using FLC::GUS transgenic plants and RNA analysis. Regardless of the epigenetic state in

Helix-hairpin-helix DNA glycosylases are typically small proteins that initiate repair of DNA by excising damaged or mispaired bases. An invariant aspartic acid in the active site is involved in catalyzing the excision reaction. Replacement of this critical residue with an asparagine severely reduces catalytic activity but preserves enzyme stability and structure. The Arabidopsis DEMETER (DME) gene encodes a large 1,729-aa polypeptide with a 200-aa DNA glycosylase domain. DME is expressed primar

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism for gene silencing. In Arabidopsis, MET1 is the primary DNA methyltransferase that maintains CG DNA methylation. Plants having an overall reduction of MET1 activity, caused by a met1 mutation or a constitutively expressed MET1 antisense gene, display genome hypomethylation, inappropriate gene and transposon transcription, and developmental abnormalities. However, the effect of atransient reduction in MET1 activity caused by inhibiting MET1 expression in

The flowering plant life cycle consists of alternating haploid (gametophyte) and diploid (sporophyte) generations, where the sporophytic generation begins with fertilization of haploid gametes. In <i>Arabidopsis</i>, genome-wide DNA demethylation is required for normal development, catalyzed by the DEMETER (DME) DNA demethylase in the gamete companion cells of male and female gametophytes. In the sporophyte, postembryonic growth and development are largely dependent on the activity of numerous s

CHH methylation (mCHH) increases gradually during embryogenesis across dicotyledonous plants, indicating conserved mechanisms of targeting and conferral. Although it is suggested that methylation increase during embryogenesis enhances transposable element silencing, the detailed epigenetic pathways underlying this process remain unclear. In <i>Arabidopsis</i>, mCHH is regulated by both small RNA-dependent DNA methylation (RdDM) and RNA-independent Chromomethylase 2 (CMT2) pathways. Here, we cond

Genomic imprinting, an epigenetic process in mammals and flowering plants, refers to the differential expression of alleles of the same genes in a parent-of-origin-specific manner. In Arabidopsis, imprinting occurs primarily in the endosperm, which nourishes the developing embryo. Recent high-throughput sequencing analyses revealed that more than 200 loci are imprinted in Arabidopsis; however, only a few of these imprinted genes and their imprinting mechanisms have been examined in detail. Where

Flowering plants exhibit unique DNA methylation dynamics during development. Particular attention can be focused on seed development and the embryo, which represents the starting point of the sporophytic life cycle. A build-up of CHH methylation is now recognized as highly characteristic of embryo development. This process is thought to occur in order to silence potentially harmful transposable element expression, though roles in promoting seed dormancy and dessication tolerance have also been r