Epigenetic control of cell fate

Development of multicellular organisms relies on the cells’ ability to become specialized to fulfill diverse functions. Changing cell identity may be harmful, as in cancerogenesis, but it is widely exploited in medicine for the generation of pluripotent cells and in plant biotechnology for re-juvenation and clonal propagation. Therefore, understanding the processes that maintain cells in particular states is of great importance. We study how chromatin-based mechanisms contribute to regulate cell fate switches.

Relevant publications

Mozgova, I., Köhler, C., Hennig, L. (2015) Keeping the gate closed: Functions of the Polycomb repressive complex PRC2 in development. Plant Journal 83, 121-132

Pi, L., Aichinger, E., van der Graaff, E., Llavata-Peris, C.I., Weijers, D., Hennig, L., Groot, E., Laux, T. (2015) Organizer-derived WOX5 signal maintains root columella stem cells through chromatin-mediated repression of CDF4 expression. Developmental Cell 33, 576-588 (PUBMED)

Mozgova, I., Hennig, L. (2015) The Polycomb Group protein regulatory network. Annual Reviews in Plant Biology in press (PUBMED)

Derkacheva, M., Hennig, L. (2014) Variations on a theme - Polycomb group proteins in plants. Journal of Experimental Botany 65, 2769-2784 (PUBMED)

Gentry, M., Hennig, L. (2014) Remodelling chromatin to shape development of plants. Experimental  Cell Research 321: 40-46 (PUBMED)

Derkacheva, M., Steinbach, Y., Wildhaber, T., Mozgová, I., Mahrez, W., Nanni, P., Bischof, S., Gruissem, W., Hennig, L. (2013) Arabidopsis MSI1 connects LHP1 to PRC2 complexes. EMBO Journal 32:2073-85 (PUBMED)

Gutzat, R., Borghi, L., Fütterer, J., Bischof, S., Laizet, Y., Hennig, L., Feil, R., Lunn, J., Gruissem, W. (2011) RETINOBLASTOMA-RELATED PROTEIN controls the transition to autotrophic plant development. Development 138, 2977-2986 (MEDLINE )

Köhler, C., Hennig, L. (2010) Regulation of cell identity by plant Polycomb and trithorax group proteins. Current Opinions in Genetics and Development 20, 541-547 (MEDLINE )

Weinhofer, I., Hehenberger, E., Roszak, P., Hennig, L., Köhler, C. (2010) H3K27me3 profiling of the endosperm implies exclusion of Polycomb group protein targeting by DNA methylation. PLoS Genetics 6, e1001152 (MEDLINE ) (Open Access)

Borghi, L., Gutzat, R., Fütterer, J., Laizet, Y., Hennig, L., Guissem, W. (2010) Arabidopsis RETINOBLASTOMA-RELATED is required for stem cell maintenance, cell differentiation, and lateral organ production. Plant Cell 22, 1792-1811 (MEDLINE ) (Open Access )

Hennig, L., Derkacheva, M. (2009) Diversity of PcG complexes in plants: same rules, different players? Trends in Genetics 25, 414-423 (MEDLINE)

Aichinger, E., Villar, C.B., Farrona, S., Reyes, J.C., Hennig, L., Köhler, C. (2009) CHD3 proteins and Polycomb group proteins antagonistically determine cell identity in Arabidopsis. PLoS Genetics 5, e1000605 (MEDLINE) (Open Access)

Exner, V., Hennig, L. (2008) Chromatin rearrangements in development. Current Opinion in Plant Biology 11, 64-69 (MEDLINE)

Exner, V., Gruissem, W., Hennig, L. (2008) Control of trichome branching by Chromatin Assembly Factor-1. BMC Plant Biology 8, 54 (Open Access)

Leroy, O., Hennig, L., Köhler, C. (2007) Polycomb group proteins function in the female gametophyte to determine seed development in plants. Development, 134, 3639-3648 (MEDLINE)

Exner, V., Taranto, P., Schonrock, N., Gruissem, W., and Hennig, L. (2006). Chromatin assembly factor CAF-1 is required for cellular differentiation during plant development. Development 133, 4163-4172 (MEDLINE )

Schönrock, N., Bouveret, R., Gruissem, W., and Hennig, L. (2006) Polycomb Group proteins repress the floral activator AGL19 in the FLC-independent vernalization pathway. Genes & Development 20, 1667-1678 (MEDLINE )

Köhler, C., Hennig, L., Bouveret, R., Gheyselinck, J., Grossniklaus, U., and Gruissem, W. (2003) Arabidopsis MSI1 is a component of the MEA/FIE Polycomb Group complex and required for seed development. EMBO Journal 22, 4804-4814 (MEDLINE )

Köhler, C., Hennig, L., Spillane, C., Pien, S., Gruissem, W., and Grossniklaus, U. (2003) The Polycomb-group protein MEDEA regulates seed development by controlling expression of the MADS-box gene PHERES1. Genes & Development 17, 1540-1553 (MEDLINE )

Hennig, L., Taranto, P., Walser, M., Schönrock, N., and Gruissem, W. (2003) Arabidopsis MSI1 is required for epigenetic maintenance of reproductive development. Development 130, 2555-2565 (MEDLINE )