The chromodomain of LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN 1 is essential for H3K27me3 binding and function during Arabidopsis development

TitleThe chromodomain of LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN 1 is essential for H3K27me3 binding and function during Arabidopsis development
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2009
AuthorsExner V., Aichinger E., Shu H., Wildhaber T., Alfarano P., Caflisch A., Gruissem W., Köhler C., Hennig L.
JournalPLoS One
Volume4
Issue4
Paginatione5335
Date Published2009
Type of ArticleResearch Article
KeywordsAlleles, Amino Acid Sequence, Arabidopsis, Arabidopsis Proteins, Base Sequence, Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone, DNA, Plant, Gene Silencing, Genes, Plant, Histones, Models, Molecular, Molecular Sequence Data, Mutation, Phylogeny, Plants, Genetically Modified, Protein Binding, Protein Structure, Tertiary, Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
Abstract

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are essential to maintain gene expression patterns during development. Transcriptional repression by PcG proteins involves trimethylation of H3K27 (H3K27me3) by Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) in animals and plants. PRC1 binds to H3K27me3 and is required for transcriptional repression in animals, but in plants PRC1-like activities have remained elusive. One candidate protein that could be involved in PRC1-like functions in plants is LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN 1 (LHP1), because LHP1 associates with genes marked by H3K27me3 in vivo and has a chromodomain that binds H3K27me3 in vitro. Here, we show that disruption of the chromodomain of Arabidopsis thaliana LHP1 abolishes H3K27me3 recognition, releases gene silencing and causes similar phenotypic alterations as transcriptional lhp1 null mutants. Therefore, binding to H3K27me3 is essential for LHP1 protein function.

DOI10.1371/journal.pone.0005335
pubindex

0113

Alternate JournalPLoS ONE
PubMed ID19399177
PubMed Central IDPMC2670505
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