“Fool” Plant Transcribe When”Wise” Plants are Silenced

1. Ofir Chakim Moran Oliva Asaf Mosquna Naomi Ravid Ania Borovikova “Fool” Plant Transcribe When”Wise” Plants are Silenced Dr. Nir ohad Britannia, Room 406, Tel: 03-6407642 (lab); 03-6407641(office) E-mail: Nirohad@post.tau.ac.il www.tau.ac.il/lifesci/plant_sciences/USR/Ohad Gene expression of every cell in any tissue has to be coordinated and fine-tuned along the entire life cycle of a living organism, thus allowing its proper growth and development. Our group studies the mechanism by which the Arabidopsis polycomb proteins (PcG) FIE and MEA, modulate chromatin structure to restrain the transcription of key regulatory factors allowing proper development. In the absence of such regulation both reproductive and vegetative programs are altered. Using molecular genetics and biochemical methodology we aim at revealing FIE and MEA mechanism of functions. To this end we search for the proteins with which they interact to form the Plant PcG complex and to identify their target genes. Homeotic conversions of fie mutant flower organ into carpel like structures Nir Ohad Dr. Aviva Katz Research Associate Graduate Students