植物基因表達的染色質調控機制之交互作用功能性研究
Functional interplay between machineries regulating plant gene expression at the chromatin level
此合作研究探討植物基因表達的表觀遺傳（epigenetic）調控機制。我們通過分析染色質重塑複合體（chromatin remodeling complex）突變體及組蛋白去乙酰化酶突變體的DNA甲基化，組蛋白甲基化與組蛋白乙酰化變化，研究各種表觀遺傳調控之交互作用。我們的研究發現，染色質重塑因子SWI3B能夠和組蛋白去乙酰化酶HDA6交互作用，共同參與基因靜默。另外，組蛋白去乙酰化酶HDA6和組蛋白去甲基化酶LDL1/2共同調控非編碼RNA （non-coding RNAs）的表達。這些研究可以幫助我們了解染色質重塑及各種表觀遺傳修飾如何參與植物基因表達調控，從而揭示植物生長發育的表觀遺傳調控機制，為作物品質改良提供參考。研究成果發表在Plant Journal (2019)及NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics (2020)上。
The goal of this collaboration research is to investigate the functional interplay between epigenetic machineries regulating plant gene expression at the chromatin level. We have assessed the changes in DNA methylation, histone acetylation and histone methylation in Arabidopsis with inactivated the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex and histone deacetylases (HDACs). Our findings reveal that the subunit of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex SWI3B and the histone deacetylase HDA6 can act in the same co-repressor complex to regulate gene silencing in Arabidopsis. Furthermore, the expression of non-coding RNAs is associated with histone acetylation and methylation changes regulated by the HDA6-LDL1/2 histone modification complex. Our studies provide new insight into the functional interplay between chromatin remodeling and histone modifications in Arabidopsis and lead to broadening the knowledge about the transcriptional control at the chromatin level. The accomplishment of this project will be relevant not only from a basic aspect, to conceive how plants regulate gene expression in development and response to environment, but also from an applied point of view, to develop molecular strategies that might be useful in breeding programs to improve crop traits. The relevant research was published in Plant Journal (2020) and NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics (2020).
