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SUMMARY:Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in Arabidopsis: a role fo
 r small RNAs? - Donna Bond\, David Baulcombe's group
DTSTART:20110218T130000Z
DTEND:20110218T133000Z
UID:TALK28380@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:15560
DESCRIPTION:Evidence is accumulating that genetic mechanisms alone are una
 ble explain how some traits are propagated from one generation to the next
 . Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in phenotype caused by mec
 hanisms other than changes in DNA sequence. Epigenetic modifications (for 
 example DNA methylation and post-translational modifications of histone ta
 ils) are widely accepted as playing a critical role in the regulation of g
 ene expression. In general\, these modifications are cleared and re-establ
 ished each generation. However\, at some genomic loci this clearing is inc
 omplete and the epigenetic state is transmitted to the progeny\; a phenome
 non that is referred to as transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Exper
 imental data is starting to emerge that the environment can stably influen
 ce the establishment of certain epigenetic modifications\, suggesting an e
 nvironmental event in one generation could affect the phenotype in subsequ
 ent generations. RNA silencing is a gene regulatory process that controls 
 many stages during the life of a plant\; for example small RNAs control nu
 merous developmental transitions\, resistance to viruses and immobilisatio
 n of transposable elements via repressive epigenetic modifications. This t
 alk will describe experiments that have been set up to investigate the phe
 nomenon of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in Arabidopsis and whe
 ther or not small RNAs play a role.
LOCATION:Department of Plant Sciences\, Large Lecture Theatre
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