DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mark involved in diverse biological processes.
In plants, DNA methylation can be established through the RNA-directed DNA methylation …

In all eukaryotes, nuclear DNA-dependent RNA polymerases I, II and III synthesize the
myriad RNAs that are essential for life. Remarkably, plants have evolved two additional …

Small RNA-mediated regulation of chromatin structure is an important means of suppressing
unwanted genetic activity in diverse plants, fungi, and animals. In plants specifically, 24-nt …

Epigenetic modifications are widely accepted as playing a critical role in the regulation of
gene expression and thereby contributing to the determination of the phenotype of …

Paramutation describes a process that results in heritable epigenetic changes of gene
regulation and trans-homologue interactions. Recent discoveries in model organisms have …

Epigenetic modifications in plants can be directed and mediated by small RNAs (sRNAs).
This regulation is composed of a highly interactive network of sRNA-directed DNA …

DNA-dependent RNA polymerases (Pols) transfer the genetic information stored in genomic
DNA to RNA in all organisms. In eukaryotes, the typical products of nuclear Pol I, Pol II, and …

Highlights•Plants encode extra RNA polymerases (Pol IV and V) that facilitate DNA
methylation.•Pol IV and V subunits evolved from Pol II subunits, and are continuing to …

Paramutation involves trans-interactions between alleles or homologous sequences that
establish distinct gene expression states that are heritable for generations. It was first …

Small RNA-mediated chromatin modification is a conserved feature of eukaryotes. In
flowering plants, the short interfering (si) RNAs that direct transcriptional silencing are …