Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 21, 2025

Immunostaining for DNA Modifications: Computational Analysis of Confocal Images
Published on: September 7, 2017
Reinforcement of transcriptional silencing by a positive feedback between DNA methylation and non-coding
M Hafiz Rothi1, Masayuki Tsuzuki1,2, Shriya Sethuraman3
1Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Abstract:
Non-coding transcription is an important determinant of heterochromatin formation. In Arabidopsis thaliana a specialized RNA polymerase V (Pol V) transcribes pervasively and produces long non-coding RNAs. These transcripts work with small interfering RNA to facilitate locus-specific establishment of RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM). Subsequent maintenance of RdDM is associated with elevated levels of Pol V transcription. However, the impact of DNA methylation on Pol V transcription remained unresolved. We found that DNA methylation strongly enhances Pol V transcription. The level of Pol V transcription is reduced in mutants defective in RdDM components working downstream of Pol V, indicating that RdDM is maintained by a mutual reinforcement of DNA methylation and Pol V transcription. Pol V transcription is affected only on loci that lose DNA methylation in all sequence contexts in a particular mutant, including mutants lacking maintenance DNA methyltransferases, which suggests that RdDM works in a complex crosstalk with other silencing pathways.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Epigenetic Regulation
X-chromosome...
Co-activators and Co-repressors
RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins
Eukaryotic Transcription Inhibitors
Eukaryotic transcription inhibitors usually contain two distinct domains, a...
Types of RNA
RNA Performs Diverse...
Histone Modification
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone...

