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RNA-associated mechanisms in Polycomb-mediated epigenetic silencing

Plants use epigenetic mechanisms to establish stable patterns of gene expression in response to environmental conditions. An important open question is how Polycomb silencing complexes are targeted to specific genomic regions and how this process is influenced by transcriptional activity. This project will investigate whether RNA surveillance mechanisms contribute to Polycomb-mediated gene silencing in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. In particular, we are interested in whether RNA-associated factors involved in RNA processing and silencing influence the recruitment or activity of Polycomb complexes at chromatin. The work combines plant molecular genetics, protein interaction studies, and chromatin biology, including genome-wide approaches.