Regulatory function of histone modifications in controlling rice gene expression and plant growth

Abstract

Histone modifications play pivotal roles in chromatin remodeling and gene regulation. Rice genome possesses multiple genes encoding different classes of histone modification enzymes. Specific histone modification patterns in rice are associated with either heterochromatic or euchromatic regions or related to gene expression. Functional studies of several rice genes encoding histone deacetylases and histone methyltransferases and demethylases reveal specific regulators involved in transposon repression, development regulation, and responses to environmental conditions. Functional interplay between rice histone modification regulators in gene regulation and transposon silencing and their implication in rice epigenetic variation are discussed. © Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2010.