Dynamics of histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation in plant development

The development of multicellular organisms is governed partly by temporally and spatially controlled gene expression. DNA methylation, covalent modifications of histones, and the use of histone variants are the major epigenetic mechanisms governing gene expression in plant development. In this review, we zoom in onto histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3), a repressive mark that plays a crucial role in the dynamic regulation of gene expression in plant development, to discuss recent advances as well as outstanding questions in the deposition, recognition, and removal of the mark and the impacts of these molecular processes on plant development.

Research highlights
► PcG proteins are writers and readers of H3K27 trimethylation.
► A conserved mechanism of PRC2 recruitment to targets in plants and animals is via noncoding RNAs.
► Despite lack of obvious homology to its animal counterpart, an Arabidopsis PRC1-like complex is taking shape.
► Arabidopsis PRC1 has histone H2A monoubiquitination activity.