Question 2: Causal Relationships in Vernalization In the vernalization response of Arabidopsis, the FLC (FLOWERING LOCUS C) gene is epigenetically silenced to allow flowering. • Task: Explain the causal relationship between the H3K27me3 histone mark and the chromatin state of the FLC locus during and after winter. • Logic Challenge: Based on the molecular players described (e.g., the PRC2 complex), predict what would happen to the plant's flowering behavior if it possessed a "writer" mutation that prevented the deposition of H3K27me3 marks even when exposed to cold.
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