The age of multiplexity: recruitment and interactions of Polycomb complexes in plants

Abstract

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins form distinct complexes that modify chromatin by histone H3 methylation and H2A mono-ubiquitination leading to chromatin compaction and epigenetic repression of target genes. A network of PcG protein complexes, associated partners and antagonistically acting chromatin modifiers is essential to regulate developmental transitions and cell fate in all multicellular eukaryotes. In this review, we discuss insights on the subfunctionalization of PcG complexes and their modes of recruitment to target sites based on data from the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana.