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Division of Agricultural Genetics • Kakutani Group

Epigenetic controls of plant development and genome structure

Professor          　　 KAKUTANI, Tetsuji    tkakutan
Assistant Professor    TARUTANI, Yoshiaki 　 ytarutan
Assistant Professor    INAGAKI, Soichi 　       soinagak

Homepage URL : http://www.nig.ac.jp/labs/AgrGen/home-j.html

To understand control and function of DNA methylation, we are taking genetic approaches using mutants of Arabidopsis. An Arabidopsis protein DDM1 (decrease in DNA methylation) is necessary for methylating transposons and repeats. On the other hand, IBM1 (increase in BONSAI methylation) is necessary for not methylating genes. In mutants of genes encoding these proteins, several types of developmental abnormalities were induced. Characterization of these abnormalities is revealing impact of DNA methylation on genome evolution and appropriate gene expression. In addition, using these and other mutants, we are studying controlling mechanisms of differential DNA methylation between genes and transposons within the genome.

The ibm1 (increase in BONSAI methylation) mutation induces developmental defects, which are suppressed by mutation in the H3K9 methylase gene KYP or non-CG methylase gene CMT3. The results suggest that these phenotypes are due to ectopic deposition of heterochromatin marks, such as H3K9 methylation and non-CG methylation.

Inagaki, S., Miura-Kamio, A., Nakmura, Y., Lu, F., Cao, X., Kimura, H., Saze, H., and Kakutani, T. (2010). Autocatalytic differentiation of epigenetic modifications within the Arabidopsis genome. EMBO J. 29, 3496-3506.

Tsukahara, S., Kobayashi, A., Kawabe, A., Mathieu, O., Miura, A., and Kakutani, T. (2009). Bursts of retrotransposition reproduced in Arabidopsis. Nature 303, 423-426.

Miura, A., Nakmura, M., Inagaki, S., Kobayashi, A., Saze, H., and Kakutani, T. (2009). An Arabidopsis jmjC domain protein protects transcribed genes from DNA methylation at CHG sites. EMBO J. 28, 1078-1086.

Saze, H., Shiraishi, A., Miura, A., and Kakutani, T. (2008). Control of genic DNA methylation by a jmjC-domain containing protein in Arabidopsis thaliana. Science 319, 462-465.

Saze, H., and Kakutani, T. (2007). Heritable epigenetic mutation of a transposon-flanked Arabidopsis gene due to lack of the chromatinremodeling factor DDM1. EMBO J. 26, 3641-3652.


Professor KAKUTANI, Tetsuji tkakutan	Assistant Professor TARUTANI, Yoshiaki ytarutan	Assistant Professor INAGAKI, Soihi soinagak

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