Figure 8

A hypothetical model explaining how DNA demethylases regulate stress response genes by targeting promoter TE sequences and why rdd is susceptible to Fo infection. In WT Arabidopsis (top left), both DNA methyltransferases (DNA methylase) and demethylases target TE sequences to maintain a steady-state level of methylation and a moderate level of gene expression. In rdd plants (top right), methylation levels are increased due to the absence of demethylases, resulting in repressed gene expression. Under stress conditions (bottom), DNA demethylase activity is increased (indicated by thicker arrow) due to unknown factors, resulting in reduced TE methylation and induced gene expression. RdDM interacts with DNA demethylases in this process but how this interaction occurs remains unknown.