EMF-mediated epigenetic mechanisms in Arabidopsis

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PI: Z. Renee Sung, co-PI Daniel ZilbermanIOS-0956409EMF-mediated epigenetic mechanisms in ArabidopsisEMF genes encode chromatin proteins that are master regulators of Arabidopsis development, including the regulation of flowering time. This project studies how the two EMF genes keep plants from flowering. Maintaining floral repression is critical for vegetable crops such as cabbage. A genome-wide approach employing ChIP-chip technology will enable comprehensive identification of EMF/PcG target genes and characterization of the roles of EMF1 and EMF2 in establishing histone methylation (H3K27me3) and transcriptional regulation. A molecular genetic approach will be employed to investigate the function of EMF1-target gene interaction. This project will uncover the EMF-regulated genetic network that controls vegetative development, and the role EMF1 plays in epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Data will be made available to the public via Gene Expression Omnibus (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/), a curated online resource maintained by NCBI. The proposed research will provide training opportunities in developmental genetics, chromatin biology and genomics for a postdoctoral fellow and student researchers, including students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds.