BRU1, a novel link between responses to DNA damage and epigenetic gene silencing in Arabidopsis.

ABSTRACT: DNA repair associated with DNA replication is important for the conservation of genomic sequence information, whereas reconstitution of chromatin after replication sustains epigenetic information. We have isolated and characterized mutations in the BRU1 gene of Arabidopsis that suggest a novel link between these underlying maintenance mechanisms. Bru1 plants are highly sensitive to genotoxic stress and show stochastic release of transcriptional gene silencing. They also show increased intrachromosomal homologous recombination and constitutively activated expression of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-2 (AtPARP-2), the induction of which is associated with elevated DNA damage. Bru1 mutations affect the stability of heterochromatin organization but do not interfere with genome-wide DNA methylati

SUBMITTER: Takeda S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC387418 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature