拟南芥组蛋白H3K27me3去甲基化酶REF6参与染色质结构及共转录调控的分子机制研究

组蛋白甲基化是组蛋白翻译后修饰最为复杂和重要的一种，不仅对基因转录调控和抑制转座子激活等有重要的调节作用，而且与农作物重要农艺性状和人类疾病的发生密切相关。REF6/JMJ12是拟南芥中特异性去除H3K27甲基化修饰的去甲基化酶，通过串联锌指结构域识别特异的DNA基序实现去甲基化功能，所调控的靶基因参与植物发育及胁迫响应等多种生物学过程。然而，对于REF6在基因表达调控过程中的分子作用机制还知之甚少。本项目将围绕REF6调控基因表达的分子作用机制这一关键科学问题，综合采用遗传学、生物化学、分子生物学、基因组学、转录组学和生物信息学等研究手段，解析REF6参与基因表达调控的分子机制，在染色质水平上分析染色质重塑因子是否参与了REF6的位点识别，探求REF6是否参与了共转录调控过程，以期阐明H3K27me3的动态调控参与植物生长发育过程的分子机制，同时也将对植物基因表达调控机理提供全新的认识。

Histone methylation, one of the most complicated and important post-translational modifications, plays crucial roles in transcriptional regulation and transposon repression, and significantly correlates with agronomic traits of crops and human diseases. REF6/JMJ12 specifically demethylates H3K27me3 and H3K27me2 in Arabidopsis. The Zinc Finger (ZnF) domains of REF6 can interact with specific DNA motifs and demethylate the target genes involved in plant development and stress responses. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of the role for REF6 in regulating gene expression. In this project, we will mainly focus on the functional analysis of REF6 in regulating gene expression. By using genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, genomics, transcriptomics, and bioinformatics, we will dissect the molecular mechanism of REF6 in regulating gene expression, analyze whether chromatin remodelers are involved in REF6 targeting, explore the possibility of REF6 in co-transcriptional regulation. This study will elucidate the regulatory mechanism of H3K27me3 dynamics in plant development, and provide new insight into plant gene expression regulation.