Abstract
In eukaryotic nucleus, genomic DNA is assembled into chromatin, nucleoprotein complex including histone. Chromatin assembly factor-1 (CAF-1) supports the assembly of nucleosome on to the DNA in vitro. Anti-silencing function 1 (Asf1) was identified as a component of RCAF, the chromatin assembly factor dependent on CAF-1. We have previously shown that FASCIATA1 (FAS1) and FAS2 genes encode two subunits of the Arabidopsis counterpart of human CAF-1. ASF1a and ASF1b encode the homologues of human Asf1a and Asf1b respectively, and we report the characterization of asf1a and asf1b mutants, double or triple mutants with fas2. asf1a and asf1b display no significant phenotype, but in double mutant of them, pointed, narrow, and serrated leaves similar to which in fas2 mutant were observed. The double and triple mutant of asf1 with fas2 display male sterility and early-embryonic lethal phenotype, respectively. The role of Asf1 and CAF-1 in Arabidopsis will be discussed.
