Séminaire IBIP
Les séminaires ont lieu sur le Campus Montpellier SupAgro/INRA de La Gaillarde (2, place P. Viala Montpellier)

Jeudi 13 juin 2013
Salle 106 (Cœur d’Ecole) à 14h

Functional organization and developmental dynamics of the Arabidopsis epigenome

François Roudier
Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS UMR8197-INSERM U1024, Arabidopsis Epigenetics and Epigenomics Group, Paris, France

Chromatin-based mechanisms are increasingly recognized as pivotal regulators of transcriptional patterns, which are central to organogenesis, development and response to the environment. Chromatin-level control of gene expression relies on covalent modifications of histones, incorporation of histone variants, DNA methylation and other factors, such as chromatin-modifying and remodelling enzymes or small RNAs. Combinations of these factors contribute to define, in a highly dynamic manner, distinct chromatin states that modulate transcriptional activity. The first comprehensive view of the Arabidopsis epigenome we have generated suggests simple principles of organization, a finding that echoes those reported in metazoans. Our current efforts aim to understand the role of chromatin-based mechanisms in the regulation of cell differentiation and developmental patterning in plants, with a special emphasis on the transcriptional switches mediated by Polycomb repressive pathways. To this end, cell-type specific approaches are combined with genetics and comparative epigenomics in order to determine the dynamics of chromatin states and their relation to transcriptional activity using the Arabidopsis root as a model. Our long-term goal is to characterize the regulatory principles associated with Polycomb-mediated repression and its impact on the gene regulatory networks underpinning meristem function and root development.

Contact : Antoine Martin

Contacts IBIP :
Sabine Zimmermann
Philippe Nacry
Christine Granier
Chantal Baracco