A new role for histone demethylases in the maintenance of plant genome integrity

ANTUNEZ-SANCHEZ, JAVIER; NAISH, MATTHEW; RAMIREZ-PRADO, JUAN SEBASTIAN; OHNO, SHO; HUANG, YING; DAWSON, ALEXANDER; OPASSATHIAN, KORAWIT; MANZA-MIANZA, DEBORAH; ARIEL, FEDERICO; RAYNAUD, CECILE; WIBOWO, ANJAR; DARON, JOSQUIN; UEDA, MINAKO; LATRASSE, DAVID; SLOTKIN, R KEITH; WEIGEL, DETLEF; BENHAMED, MOUSSA; GUTIERREZ-MARCOS, JOSE

eLife

eLife Sciences Publications

Año: 2020 vol. 9

Histone modifications deposited by the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) play a critical role in the control of growth, development, and adaptation to environmental fluctuations of most multicellular eukaryotes. The catalytic activity of PRC2 is counteracted by Jumonji-type (JMJ) histone demethylases, which shapes the genomic distribution of H3K27me3. Here, we show that two JMJ histone demethylases in Arabidopsis, EARLY FLOWERING 6 (ELF6) and RELATIVE OF EARLY FLOWERING 6 (REF6), play distinct roles in H3K27me3 and H3K27me1 homeostasis. We show that failure to reset these chromatin marks during sexual reproduction results in the transgenerational inheritance of histone marks, which cause a loss of DNA methylation at heterochromatic loci and transposon activation. Thus, Jumonji-type histone demethylases play a dual role in plants by helping to maintain transcriptional states through development and safeguard genome integrity during sexual reproduction.