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Review
. 2014 Jun;15(6):394-408.
doi: 10.1038/nrg3683. Epub 2014 May 8.

RNA-directed DNA methylation: an epigenetic pathway of increasing complexity

Marjori A Matzke  1 , Rebecca A Mosher  2
Affiliations
Review

RNA-directed DNA methylation: an epigenetic pathway of increasing complexity

Marjori A Matzke et al. Nat Rev Genet. 2014 Jun.

Erratum in

  • Nat Rev Genet. 2014 Aug;15(8):570

Abstract

RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) is the major small RNA-mediated epigenetic pathway in plants. RdDM requires a specialized transcriptional machinery that comprises two plant-specific RNA polymerases - Pol IV and Pol V - and a growing number of accessory proteins, the functions of which in the RdDM mechanism are only partially understood. Recent work has revealed variations in the canonical RdDM pathway and identified factors that recruit Pol IV and Pol V to specific target sequences. RdDM, which transcriptionally represses a subset of transposons and genes, is implicated in pathogen defence, stress responses and reproduction, as well as in interallelic and intercellular communication.

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References

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