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EAR domain-containing transcription factors trigger PRC2-mediated chromatin marking in Arabidopsis

IBVF

Fernando Baile, Wiam Merini, Inés Hidalgo, Myriam Calonje Plant, Cell & Environment 2021, Vol. 33, 1-15

PcG (polycomb group) complexes ensure that every cell in an organism expresses the genes needed at a particular stage, time, or condition. However, it is still not fully understood how PcG complexes PRC1 and PRC2 are recruited to target genes in plants. Recent findings in Arabidopsis thaliana support the notion that PRC2 recruitment is mediated by different transcription factors (TFs). However, it is unclear how all these TFs interact with PRC2 and whether they also recruit PRC1 activity. Here, by using a system to bind selected TFs to a synthetic promoter lacking the complexity of PcG target promoters in vivo, we show that while binding of the TF VIVIPAROUS1/ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3-LIKE1 (VAL1) recapitulates PRC1 and PRC2 marking, the binding of other TFs only renders PRC2 marking. Interestingly, all these TFs contain an EAR domain that triggers both HDAC (HISTONE DEACETYLASE COMPLEX) and PRC2 activities, connecting two different repressive mechanisms. Furthermore, we show that different TFs can have an additive effect on PRC2 activity, which may be required to maintain long-term repression of gene expression.

https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koab139

 

 

Fernando Baile