InterPro domain: IPR032881

This entry represents a plant homeodomain (PHD) finger domain of Oberon proteins from plants. Oberon is necessary for maintenance and/or establishment of both the shoot and root apical meristems in Arabidopsis. Oberon proteins are made up of a PHD finger domain and a coiled-coil domain. The PHD-finger domain is found in a wide variety of proteins involved in the regulation of chromatin structure [ 1 ]. Oberon proteins mediate the TMO7 (the direct target of MP) expression through modification of, or binding to, chromatin at the TMO7 locus. TMO7 stands for the target of Monopteros 7 (MP) (or Auxin response factor 7) [ 2 ].

This domain can also be found in protein VERNALIZATION INSENSITIVE 3 (VIN3) and related proteins. VIN3 is involved in both the vernalization and photoperiod pathways in Arabidopsis [ 3 ]. VIN3-like protein 1 (also known as VRN5) functions in the epigenetic silencing of Arabidopsis FLOWERING LOCUS C [ 4 ].

1. The Arabidopsis OBERON1 and OBERON2 genes encode plant homeodomain finger proteins and are required for apical meristem maintenance. Development 135, 1751-9
2. Control of embryonic meristem initiation in Arabidopsis by PHD-finger protein complexes. Development 139, 1391-8
3. A PHD finger protein involved in both the vernalization and photoperiod pathways in Arabidopsis. Genes Dev. 20, 3244-8
4. The PHD finger protein VRN5 functions in the epigenetic silencing of Arabidopsis FLC. Curr. Biol. 17, 73-8