A G(enomic)P(ositioning)S(ystem) for Plant RNAPII Transcription

Trends Plant Sci. 2020 Aug;25(8):744-764. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.03.005. Epub 2020 Apr 11.

Abstract

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histone residues shape the landscape of gene expression by modulating the dynamic process of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription. The contribution of particular histone modifications to the definition of distinct RNAPII transcription stages remains poorly characterized in plants. Chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with next-generation sequencing (ChIP-seq) resolves the genomic distribution of histone modifications. Here, we review histone PTM ChIP-seq data in Arabidopsis thaliana and find support for a Genomic Positioning System (GPS) that guides RNAPII transcription. We review the roles of histone PTM 'readers', 'writers', and 'erasers', with a focus on the regulation of gene expression and biological functions in plants. The distinct functions of RNAPII transcription during the plant transcription cycle may rely, in part, on the characteristic histone PTM profiles that distinguish transcription stages.

Keywords: ChIP-seq; RNA Polymerase II; chromatin; epigenetics; histone PTM; transcriptional interference.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis* / genetics
  • Arabidopsis* / metabolism
  • Histones / genetics
  • Histones / metabolism
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational
  • RNA Polymerase II* / genetics
  • RNA Polymerase II* / metabolism

Substances

  • Histones
  • RNA Polymerase II