Important aspects of plant development are under epigenetic control, that is, under the control of heritable changes in gene expression that are not associated with alterations in DNA sequence. It is becoming clear that RNA molecules play a key role in epigenetic gene regulation by providing sequence specificity for the targeting of developmentally important genes. RNA-based control of gene expression can be exerted posttranscriptionally by interfering with transcript stability or translation. Moreover, RNA molecules also appear to direct developmentally relevant gene regulation at the transcriptional level by modifying chromatin structure and/or DNA methylation.

中文翻译：

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植物发育的表观遗传控制：新的复杂性层。

植物发育的重要方面在表观遗传控制下，即在与DNA序列的改变不相关的基因表达的遗传变化的控制下。越来越明显的是，RNA分子通过提供靶向发展重要基因的序列特异性，在表观遗传基因调控中发挥关键作用。可以通过干扰转录物的稳定性或翻译，在转录后进行基于RNA的基因表达控制。此外，RNA分子还似乎通过修饰染色质结构和/或DNA甲基化，在转录水平上指导与发育相关的基因调控。