Maize pachytene chromosomes stained with anti K27me1 antibodies. K27me1 is green, CENP-C is blue, and DNA is red.

In 2004 we entered a collaboration with Karen Cone (U. Missouri) and 6 other Co-PIs to study maize genes that regulate chromatin structure (the Maize Chromatin Consortium). RNAi mutations in over 20 genes involved in histone acetylation and methylation, as well as several other classes of chromatin binding proteins are currently available. Our role is to use chromatin immunoprecipitation to determine how these genes affect the status of lysine methylation at several key residues, including K4, K9 and K27. We have also immunolocalized methylated histones on chromosomes and used several of the antisera in ChIP experiments.