More data about this group.
Last database update for these data: 2008-10-14 - Data extracted on 2009-04-14 from the database.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) |
| Participants | Michael Wassenegger (Leader) Kajohn Boonrod Mirko Moser Nora Schwind Michèle Zwiebel Athanasios Dalakouras |
| Period | 2004 - 2009 |
| Description | In plants, RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) represents one of the mechanisms that leads to establishment of de novo methylation patterns. Interestingly, not only RdDM but also transcriptional (TGS) and post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) are initiated by double stranded RNA (dsRNA). Gene imprinting and X-chromosome inactivation in mammals seem to be correlated with production of sense/antisense RNA and with occurrence of de novo DNA methylation. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that RdDM also exists in mammals and that it is involved in epigenetic processes. In order to find evidence for this hypothesis, RdDM which is still barely characterised should be investigated in a plant system. With the expected data it could be possible to analyse whether de novo methylation can be directed by RNA in mammals. |
| Web page | Specific Web page |
| Viruses | Potato spindle tuber viroid |
| Plants | Nicotiana tabacum Nicotiana benthamiana |
| Crops | Tobacco |
| Fundings | EU STREP, Function of small RNAs across kingdoms (FOSRAK) http://www.fosrak.org/ (terminated 12/31/2007) EU IP, Silencing RNAs: organisers and coordinators of complexity in eukaryotic organisms (SIROCCO) http://www.sirocco-project.eu/ |