MORC family ATPases required for heterochromatin condensation and gene silencing

ABSTRACT: Transposable elements (TEs) and DNA repeats are commonly targeted by DNA and histone methylation to achieve epigenetic gene silencing. We isolated mutations in two Arabidopsis genes, CRT1 and CRH6, which cause de-repression of DNA-methylated genes and TEs, but no losses of DNA or histone methylation. CRT1 and CRH6 are members of the conserved Microrchidia (MORC) ATPase family, predicted to catalyze alterations in chromosome superstructure. The crt1 and crh6 mutants show decondensation of pericentromeric heterochromatin, increased interaction of pericentromeric regions with the rest of the genome, and transcriptional defects that are largely restricted to loci residing in pericentromeric regions. Knockdown of the single MORC homolog in Caenorhabditis elegans also impairs transgene silen

ORGANISM(S): Arabidopsis thaliana

SUBMITTER: Shawn Cokus 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-37644 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress