Altering cytosine methylation by genetic means leads to a variety of develo
pmental defects in mice(1), plants(2-5) and fungi(6,7) Deregulation of cyto
sine methylation also has a role in human carcinogenesis(8). In some cases,
these defects have been tied to the inheritance of epigenetic alterations
(such as chromatin imprints and DNA methylation patterns) that do not invol
ve changes in DNA sequence(3,8-10). Using a forward genetic screen, we iden
tified a gene (DDM1, decrease in DNA methylation) from the flowering plant
Arabidopsis thaliana required to maintain normal cytosine methylation patte
rns(11). Additional ddm1 alleles (som4, 5, 6, 7, 8) were isolated in a sele
ction for mutations that relieved transgene silencing(12) (E.J.R., unpublis
hed data). Loss of DDM1 function causes a 70% reduction of genomic cytosine
methylation, with most of the immediate hypomethylation occurring in repea
ted sequences(11). In contrast, many low-copy sequences initially retain th
eir methylation in ddm1 homozygotes, but lose methylation over time as the
mutants are propagated through multiple generations by self-pollination(3,1
3). The progressive effect of ddm1 mutations on low-copy sequence methylati
on suggests that ddm1 mutations compromise the efficiency of methylation of
newly incorporated cytosines after DNA replication. In parallel with the s
low decay of methylation during inbreeding, ddm1 mutants accumulate heritab
le alterations (mutations or stable epialleles) at dispersed sites in the g
enome that lead to morphological abnormalities(3,5,14). Here we report that
DDM1 encodes a SWI2/SNF2-like protein, implicating chromatin remodelling a
s an important process for maintenance of DNA methylation and genome integr
ity.